Kataang Oneshots: The Story of Aang and Katara
by KrystalFruit22
Summary: Various oneshots about Kataang, as the title suggests. Different genres, as well as ratings, some fluff, some angst, lots of love all around!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**This will be a series of oneshots about Kataang, as the summary says. This particular one is based off of this awesome piece of art by limey404. **

* * *

Aang reached up and scratched his once bald head. He hated this hair. It was so itchy and uncomfortable, not to mention that he had to wash it. Aang's left hand joined his right on his head and began scratching as well.

"Ugh!" he grunted in frustration, scratching so hard that he began to see little black hairs falling in front of his eyes.

"Aang?" the boy stopped in mid scratch.

"Are you…ok?" Katara asked, sitting down next to him, looking concerned. Aang continued to furiously claw at his scalp.

"It's this stupid hair! It's so itchy and thick and...uncontrollable and…" Suddenly, he felt third hand on his head. He stopped talking as the heat rose to his cheeks and he slowly lowered his hands. Katara smirked at him and he felt himself turn another shade of red as her fingers massaged his scalp.

"What were you saying about your hair Aang?" she asked. Aang didn't reply, but he smiled. Maybe hair wasn't so bad after all.


	2. News

A/N: Thank you so much for the nice reviews everybody! I am slowly getting over my fear of letting exposing my writing to the public. Sadly, I'm leaving for my grandparents house tomorrow and won't be coming back 'till next Saturday. So, I guess this could be a goodbye present if you want to think of it like that.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Katara sighed. Now was the time, she decided. She smiled, wondering how her friend, her brother and her husband would react to her news. Even she wasn't sure how to feel about it. For the first time in her life, she was completely responsible for someone else. For a completely helpless being, a baby. She had been fully aware what she wanted and what she was doing that night with Aang, they were married and had every means of being able to handle something like this. But now, Katara wasn't sure. Could she handle the responsibility of motherhood? Could she get through get through pregnancy and childbirth without complications? This was so confusing. On one hand, Katara felt nervous, and on the other she felt…happy. She had always been fond of children and infants, and now she and Aang could have one of their own. Besides, if the child was anything like Aang, then it wouldn't be a bad thing at all, though at the end of each day she'd be exhausted if there were mini Aangs running around her house. Katara laughed at the thought. This couldn't be so bad, Katara had never met a mother who didn't love her children. With this in mind, Katara made her way down the stairs with a smile on her face.

Aang, Sokka and Toph were all sitting on the couch with bored expressions on their faces, though Aang's changed when he saw her enter. He smiled brightly.

"Hi Katara!" Katara smiled back, even after all these years, Aang still had some of his old childish self in him, she sat next to him on the couch and drew a deep breath.

"Guys?" She asked, getting the attention of Sokka and Toph.

"I…have some news." She paused, not sure how to phrase what she knew was coming next.

"Spit it out sugar queen." Toph smirked. She already had an idea of what Katara was going to say, about two weeks ago she had begun to feel two hearts beating when the waterbender was around. The woman's cheeks colored, everyone was looking at her now, anticipating what she had to say.

"Aang and I….we're….I-I…I'm pregnant." There. She had said it. Summoning up her courage she looked around at her friends, her eyes stopping when they met the gray of her husband's shining orbs. A smile formed on Aang's lips and his cheeks colored before he threw his arms around her and kissed her lips.

"You're going…to have a baby Katara?" he asked dreamily, obviously elated. Katara laughed and nodded, and Aang placed a warm hand on her abdomen.

"I-I'm going to be a father." He breathed, as though he didn't believe the words he was speaking.

"Yes." Katara kissed his cheek before checking the reactions of Toph more thoroughly. The blind earthbender was smirking knowingly, her milky eyes staring in no particular direction.

"Toph?" her friend asked.

"I already knew." She said, laughing. Katara's lips began to form the word 'how' but Toph interrupted.

"Two heartbeats." She said simply.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aang asked, puzzled, temporarily removing his hand from his wife's abdomen to make a gesture of confusion.

"I thought it would be better if Katara was the one to spill the beans, it is her baby, and it would be a little awkward for me to tell her." Toph shrugged. Aang looked at Katara and she raised an eyebrow, it wasn't like Toph to keep something like this to herself just because it was 'awkward'. Nonetheless, Katara was somewhat appreciative of the earthbender's thoughtfulness.

Lastly, she looked over to Sokka. She sighed and rolled her eyes at Aang, her brother, had fainted.


	3. Cherry Blossoms

A/N: Sorry for the wait, like I said, I'm still adjusting to the highschool homework and all that lol. Because of that, this one is rather short, though not as short as chapters one and three. ;) Thank you again for all of the nice reviews. And for those of you who didn't like the last chapter because of the content, I probably won't do something that bad again, so you can return to the story now without fear lol.

I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

Katara sat next to a small stream as pink cherry blossoms fluttered down from the flowering trees above her into her hair. She smiled lightly at her reflection, watching the delicate little petals float down the stream.

"Hi Katara." Aang's reflection joined hers in the stream. He sat down next to her and she sighed softly.

"What's the matter?" Aang asked quietly, noticing the expression on his friend's face. The sun was beginning to set, casting shadows over the couple. Katara struggled with her words for a moment before replying.

"It's…i-it's you." She confessed, sighing softly. Aang looked hurt and confused and his gray eyes shone with sadness. He clasped his hands together in front of him in a gesture of desperation and his eyebrows knitted together.

"What did I do? Is it because I accidentally lost Sokka's meat this morning? I'm sorry I-" before the boy could finish Katara cut him off.

"It's not that Aang. And it's not that I'm mad at you, I'm not. It's just…Aang…you're…different. You're not so open to me anymore, it's like there's some kind of barrier between us." She stopped to cup her friend's face in her hand.

"What changed Aang?" she wondered. The boy blushed and looked puzzled for a moment, before his features relaxed and he understood. He looked away.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." He murmured. Katara smiled, folding her hands in her lap and watching as the pink cherry blossoms continued to float down into the stream.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Don't be shy then Aang, go ahead. What do you want to tell me?" she coaxed, smiling encouragingly at her friend.

"I've been wanting to tell you ever since the battle with the firelord actually, Katara. But I was scared. You see….it's just that…I kind of….you know…like you I guess. A lot." Aang paused and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of how to phrase what was coming next. He gulped and then continued.

"You're so kind, beautiful, caring, gentle, maternal, all those good things, and you've always been there for me. I really appreciate that, more than you'll ever know. I-I love you Katara. I have for a really, really long time and I hope you feel that way too. But it's ok if you don't." he mumbled. There. It was out, he had finally said it. He only desperately hoped that Katara did indeed feel the same way, he didn't like the thought of having to, as Roku had put it in their previous meeting 'repopulate the airbenders' with a strange woman he didn't love. No, he wanted, though it seemed selfish, for his babies to be given by Katara.

Summoning up his courage, he looked up at the girl, half expecting a slap in the face. But what he received was in fact, quite the opposite. Before he had time to register what was happening, Katara's soft lips were pressed against his. He gasped in surprise, before his eyelids slowly drifted shut and he responded to Katara's kiss enthusiastically.

His arms quickly came around her waist and hers around his neck. After quite a long while, they broke. Aang was grinning from ear to ear and Katara's face was as pink as the cherry blossoms drifting into her hair. They were both silent for a moment, before Aang spoke again.

"So….you like me too?" he asked. Katara giggled picking a flower out from behind his ear.

"Yes." She kissed his cheek and then patted her thigh gently. Aang looked puzzled and he cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Lie down, silly." Katara giggled. Aang blushed.

"Oh." The boy maneuvered himself into the appropriate position, resting his tattooed head in Katara's lap. She smiled tenderly at him as he gazed happily up at her, his gray eyes shining with adoration and all the innocent love she had ever seen as they stared up into her blue ones. The last of the sun's rays were beginning to disappear beyond the horizon, making it slightly dark.

"What do we tell the others?" Aang asked rather randomly.

"Let's not worry about them right now Aang." Katara murmured in reply, not wanting to loose the moment. She stroked Aang's smooth scalp, tracing the arrow lightly with her fingertips. As soon as the firelord had been defeated, Aang had shaved all his hair off again, wanting to represent his old culture properly. The boy sighed at the pleasurable sensation, relishing the softness of Katara's hands. She began to hum a quiet melody, and bent to kiss the airbender's forehead. He closed his eyes in bliss and smiled peacefully.

"Get some sleep Aang, it's starting to get late." Katara whispered. The boy was all too happy to oblige and he curled onto his side, preparing to sleep.

"Goodnight Katara." He mumbled. She smiled.

"Goodnight, Aang, I love you." She replied, lying down as well, carefully though so as not to disturb Aang. And with that, the two drifted into a peaceful sleep, feeling much happier than they had in a long time.


	4. Recovery

A/N: My new second longest chapter! I am open to requests once more, as I am running scarce on ideas. I think the ending to this one is rather anticlimatic, as usual, it probably doesn't fit with the rest of the story. I apologize to those of you who didn't like the last chapter, I think I just didn't have the writing touch that day. But because of my problem with finding a good end to these stories, I would like a beta reader. I'm not sure how the whole beta thing works, so anyone who wants to do it will have to help me out there lol. Please tell me if you are interested in your reviews. Happy labor day!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang sighed heavily as he took his usual seat on the side of Katara's bed. Gently, he slipped his hand into her limp one, as though he could somehow transfer his energy into her. Why had she taken Ozai's blow for him? Why couldn't he be the one unconscious for a week? Why had she taken the pain that he should've received?

Though Aang didn't know it, the answer was simple, Katara loved him. A warm tear slipped down his cheek to drip onto the girl's neck.

"Please wake up Katara." He begged, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with trembling fingers. He would do anything to see her eyes open again, to see her smile for him, to feel her arms around him.

"Please." He repeated, the tears coming faster.

"Please Katara…I-I need you. Why did you do that for me? You shouldn't have…" His voice became lost in his sobs and he lay beside Katara, squeezing her hand tightly. What if she didn't make it? What if she…died, because of him? Aang shuddered at the thought, he'd never be able to live with himself if that happened. He nuzzled her neck, trying in vain to wake her.

"Aang." A soft voice startled the boy and he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sniffling, he turned around to face Sokka.

"Aang, it's late, you should get some sleep." The warrior suggested.

"I don't need sleep. What's the point? I know I won't be able to anyways." Aang snapped and even he was surprised at how bitter he sounded. Sokka sighed.

"Look Aang, I'm just as worried about Katara as you are. She's my sister, do you think this is easy for me? And I know she's your best friend and all, but she wouldn't want to see you like this because of her." He spoke quietly, Katara's injury had affected him almost as badly as it had Aang. The boy sniffed, suddenly feeling ashamed. Of course Sokka was worried too.

"I-I'm sorry Sokka. It's just that…that…I-I love her. And I'd do anything to bring her back to us…I just…just…" sobs once again overcame Aang's voice and Sokka hugged him rather awkwardly around the shoulders. He had never been good at this comforting thing, that was Katara's job. He uncertainly patted the avatar's back, trying to remember what his parents had done to comfort him when he was sad. Eventually, the tears stopped, and Aang pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed for breaking down like that.

"You love her?" Sokka questioned after a long silence. Aang nodded and blushed, looking at his feet.

"Is that…okay with you?" he asked. Sokka chuckled.

"It's fine Aang. I don't think you'd ever hurt her, and I have a feeling she may like you too." He smirked. Aang looked up and smiled a little.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why do you think she jumped in front of you when…" Sokka cut himself off, mentioning that fatal moment was too hard for him to say, or for Aang to hear.

"I'm sorry Sokka. I should've taken the lighting, I just didn't see her coming and…and…" he shook his head, like Sokka, he wasn't able to force the words out of his mouth, it was just too painful.

"Don't worry about it." The warrior replied shortly, wanting to get away from the topic. Then Aang remembered what had brought him into the room in the first place. Wiping at his eyes, he removed the wilted flowers from the glass vase on Katara's bedside table and replaced it with a bouquet of fresh, brightly colored blossoms that he had picked himself. It was a daily ritual for him, it made him feel somewhat useful to Katara and he couldn't stand to merely sit inside all day long where his feelings of guilt were free to consume him. He would also make something for her everyday, weather it was a piece of jewelry or a drawing of something she liked. As Sokka and Toph found out, he was a talented craftsman and artist and he was looking forward to the day Katara would be able to see what he had done for her. It was his way of making up for all the days where he couldn't talk and laugh with her, or do everything else that they normally did together. After pouring fresh water into the vase of flowers, he sat cross legged in front of the bed and shut his eyes, his hands clasped together in prayer. He began murmuring mantras of protection for Katara, every fiber of his being focused on her existence. After a few minutes, his soft gray eyes reopened and he stood up once more, looking down at the girl he loved.

"Please get better Katara." He whispered. He then picked up her hand and left a kiss on the back of it, doing the same to her cheek before forcing his eyes away and exiting the room.

Aang repeated the same routine for days, more often than not coming out of Katara's room in tears. He never forgot to visit her at least three times everyday, replacing the flowers in the vase and depositing a new gift on her bedside table daily. After two weeks, however, despite his unwavering attention, his hope of Katara's survival began to grow dim. That was, until a miracle happened.

The sun was just beginning to set when Sokka raced into Aang's room where he found the boy meditating.

"Aang!" he panted, out of breath from running. Aang cracked an eye open.

"What?" he asked flatly, irritated that Sokka had interrupted his meditation.

"It's Katara…she's up!" the warrior exclaimed. An expression of disbelief crossed Aang's face and before Sokka could say anything else, he was on his feet and running as fast as his legs and airbending would carry him to Katara's room. He skidded to a halt in front of the door and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. _Breathe Aang._ He told himself. He gently pushed open the door, trying to appear as though nothing unusual was happening. But at the sight of Katara sitting up in bed, all of the will to restrain himself left him.

"Katara!" he cried joyfully. The girl smiled warmly at him and opened her arms, bracing herself for impact. She laughed as the boy collided with her, lunging into her embrace. He buried his face into the side of her neck, pressing his head against her hair. She could feel warm liquid dripping onto her collarbone and it wasn't long before she found herself crying as well. Aang's arms wrapped forcefully around her back, pulling her as close to him as she thought possible, not that she minded of course. Her hands traveled up and down the airbender's back, stopping at the back of his head before sliding down again.

"I'm so glad you're ok." He breathed.

"I thought you might…I thought you could…." Aang shook his head, he couldn't bring himself to say that he'd actually thought Katara could die.

"How long was I unconscious?" she asked and gently eased Aang off of her so she could look at his face.

"Two weeks." He mumbled.

"Wow." Katara lay back against her pillows and sighed.

"Come here Aang." She murmured, scooting over and patting the empty space left. Aang wasted no time in climbing into bed next to her.

"What…happened?" she questioned, everything seemed like a blur to her, all she remembered was a blinding light and excruciating pain in her chest before everything went black.

"Right before I-I…before Ozai _died_…he shot lightening…at me. You jumped in front of me, a-and it hit you instead. Then…you went unconscious for these two weeks. I didn't know if you'd make it." Aang looked away, once again feeling guilt wash over him. Katara placed a warm hand on his back.

"I'm sorry for putting you through that." She apologized. Aang looked up and smiled a little.

"It's alright. Oh and I have some stuff for you." The boy's grin broadened and he reached down, coming back up a moment later with a large armful of his various creations. He dropped them onto Katara's lap, and watched eagerly for her reaction.

"Aang…" she breathed, looking up at him.

"This is so sweet of you, you didn't have to..." she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. Aang blushed, his smile expanding to the point where his cheeks hurt. He watched as Katara examined her gifts, a hint of red appearing on her own face. She now had enough jewelry to wear a different piece everyday for at least a week, as well as little wooden sculptures and various drawings.

"You did all this yourself?" she asked. Aang nodded proudly. Katara felt as though she was the luckiest girl in the four nations. She was positive she had the sweetest friend in the world, he was more than she could ever ask for, everything she'd ever dreamed of having and so much more.

"I'm glad I got to wake up Aang." She whispered. Almost instantly, she knew she'd said the wrong thing. The smile on Aang's face vanished and his eyes became sad and downcast.

"Why'd you jump in front of me Katara?" He croaked pleadingly, looking into his friend's eyes as though he could find the answer there. The girl sighed, she knew she'd have to give Aang the truth, she couldn't stand lying to him, and he needed to know. She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come out.

"It's ok, I promise I won't be mad or anything like that." Aang tried to assure her. Katara nodded and took a deep breath, looking into her beloved's eyes. She took one of his hands into both of her own and then began to speak.

"Listen closely Aang. This is hard for me to say, so don't interrupt." Aang nodded, becoming very curious as to what Katara was about to tell him. Could Sokka have been right about what he'd said in their discussion a week ago? Aang's eyes focused on his hand that was encased in Katara's two ones and blushed. Maybe, just maybe. He thought to himself, looking up again when Katara began to speak once more.

"We've been…traveling together for a long time now Aang. You've always been there for me, you were almost never mean or rude, you're always so gentle and sweet. After a while I started to realize I guess…that I liked you as more than just a friend. You meant everything to me. I hated seeing you sad or upset, I loved seeing you happy. I-I…fell in love with you Aang. That's why I jumped in front of you. I couldn't stand to see the one I loved so much die after coming so far." Katara finished, and found herself tracing the blue arrow on Aang's arm down to his hand, still looking into his beautiful gray eyes. She had never pictured herself making that confession and yet, now it was out in the open, and Aang knew how she felt.

Aang felt as though his heart had stopped. He wanted to burst from happiness. Yet despite all the emotion inside him all he could manage was a rather squeaky

"You love me?"

Unsure how to react, Katara nodded. Seeing as his voice seemed to have been stolen, Aang leaned forward and shyly touched his lips to hers. It was a simple kiss, no tongues and no groping, just pure emotion and love. After several moments, the couple split and lay back with red cheeks.

"I love you too Katara, I really wanted to tell you for a long time, but I guess you beat me to it." Aang smiled, rubbing the back of his head. Katara giggled and tenderly touched his cheek. She then placed a soft kiss on the light blue arrow tattooed on his forehead, hearing him sigh contentedly.

"It's getting late, Aang." She whispered.

"You should go to your room and get some sleep." Aang frowned, giving Katara his best puppy dog eyes.

"But I don't want to leave." He pouted. Katara laughed.

"Don't worry Aang, I'll still be here in the morning." She assured. Aang grinned.

"I know." He smiled, getting up and preparing to leave.

"Goodnight." He murmured.

"Goodnight Aang." Came Katara's reply. She pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, before letting go, turning over to sleep as Aang quietly left until tomorrow.


	5. Thirteen

A/N: It's fluffy time again! I apologize for last chapter's ending, but I'm actually happy with this one. I hope you enjoy it too!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang sighed softly and rested his chin on his knees, staring up at the starry night sky.

_Thirteen._ The monks had always told him that it was an unlucky number, that things associated with it were often cursed. Now more than ever, Aang wondered if it were true.

It had been his thirteenth birthday today, and he hadn't told any of his friends, not wanting to seem selfish or childish. He remembered his twelfth birthday party being canceled for just that reason, the monks had said it was childish and that the avatar could not participate in such festivities. He had been upset at the time, but now he reflected, maybe the monks had been right, he really didn't have time for it now,

_Thirteen._ Aang sighed again. Had the spirits planned it this way? For him to be the unlucky age when he was supposed to save the world? Was it a test of some sort perhaps? The boy shook his head. This was silly. Thirteen was only a number right? Just a stupid number. Still though, it was odd the way these things seemed to work out for him. Then again, maybe it was an honor to be thirteen. Back at the southern air temple, the young airbenders were expected to pass their master exams at that age, and when they did, they received their tattoos. Aang's thoughts slowly began to wonder back to the fact that it was his birthday, and away from the number thirteen. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that he hadn't gotten anything. _No._ He scolded himself. That was selfish, the avatar was supposed to give, not get. Still though, it couldn't hurt to just hope. A shooting star streaked across the sky and Aang closed his eyes, unable to resist making a wish. It would be nice if he could have something, just one thing for himself. And he knew exactly what that thing was. But the question was, would he ever get it? It had looked rather likely for a while, but maybe that was just his being optimistic, he was thirteen now after all, unlucky.

"Aang?" Katara's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Wha- oh, hey Katara." He replied as she sat down beside him. She looked at him and smiled, gently brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself? Aren't you a little cold?" she asked. Aang shook his head, blushing slightly.

"Not really…I'm just thinking about…things." He answered.

"Oh? Aren't you mysterious, what kind of things?" Katara questioned, giggling a bit. Aang smiled at her.

"You know…just things." He repeated. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Come on Aang, you can tell me what you're thinking about. I'm not going to tell the world if it's a secret or something." Aang hesitated before speaking again.

"When you turned thirteen…did you get bad luck?" he asked. Katara shrugged.

"Not especially, no. I think people make too much of a big deal about that, it's just a number, you can't let it control your life, you'll only get bad luck if you believe you will. Why do you ask? Are you turning thirteen soon?" Aang looked down.

"Actually, I did today." He mumbled.

"Aang! Why didn't you say something? We could've had a party for you and cake and presents…why didn't you tell us Aang? Were you afraid we'd throw you a bad party?" Katara looked slightly hurt. Aang was her best friend and they shared almost everything. Why would he hide something like his birthday from her? The boy hastened to explain, the last thing he'd wanted was to offend Katara.

"No, no, no! That's not it at all! I just didn't tell you because…Katara, you know I'm supposed to be saving the world, I can't just be having parties and fooling around because it's my birthday, people's are counting on me to save their lives, I don't have time for it." He sighed. Katara reached out and touched his arm.

"Aang…even though you're the avatar, you're still a person. It's ok to have fun every once in a while, I don't think anyone's going to die just because you had a birthday party. It's fine to take a little time off, you're just too noble sometimes." She murmured. Aang was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

"I guess you're right. But, it's kind of too late for a party now, maybe next year." Katara smirked, crossing her arms.

"What do you want?" she asked. Aang looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"It's your birthday, there must be something you want. I'll get it for you, my treat." Katara smiled kindly at him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He blushed, suddenly remembering what he had wished for earlier. No, he shouldn't make her do that. What if she didn't want to? She'd probably be disgusted. He shook his head.

"You don't have to." He replied a little too quickly.

"Oh come on Aang, I've told you almost all of my deepest, darkest secrets, you owe me something. This can't be so bad, it's only what you want for your birthday." Katara coaxed. Aang sighed. Once again she was right. He would have to tell her what he wanted, he did owe her that much, she told him things that she didn't even tell Sokka.

"I guess…what I really want is a…a kiss…on the lips." There, he had said it. His face burned with embarrassment and he fought the urge to pull his shirt over his face and hide under it. Thoughts of the number thirteen returned to his mind, _unlucky._ Oh why had he said it? He had surely ruined everything, why on his thirteenth birthday? He began to feel dizzy, slightly nauseous even.

"Is there anyone specific you want this kiss from?" Once again, Katara's voice stopped his panicked train of thought. To his surprise, she looked relatively calm, and to his relief, un-offended.

"You." He mumbled shyly, his gaze fixated on his knees. Katara smiled warmly at him and cupped his face in her hand.

"Come here, Aang." She murmured, bringing his face level with hers. He gasped, could this actually be happening? Was he dreaming? Definitely not. When he felt Katara's lips on his, all coherent thoughts seemed to vanish. He became focused on her, and only her as a strong feeling of _need_ overcame his senses. His eyes drifted shut and he kissed back, wrapping his arms around her back as hers came around his waist.

And, he thought when he finally pulled away, maybe thirteen wasn't so bad, in fact, it may have just become his favorite number.


	6. Late Night Talks

A/N: Sorry for the slight lateness of this chapter! I've been getting more and more homework lately, but today's Roshashana (jewish new year) so I don't have school, and therefore had some time to write! I really need suggestions now though, I'm running low on ideas.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang shot up in bed, sweating and shaking. He looked around wildly for Katara, praying that what he had seen had indeed been just a dream. Fire nation rebels had captured her and taken her away from him, right from under his nose. His friends had been killed in front of him, a feeling of panic and horror consuming the atmosphere. Aang began to panic when he didn't see his beloved in the bed across from his, wondering if what he thought had been a dream was in fact reality. The thirteen year old leapt out of bed, suddenly feeling as lost and helpless as he had sometimes felt before defeating the fire lord.

"Katara!" He cried, his heart beginning to race wildly in his chest. No response.

"Katara!" he called again. Silence. The young man sunk to his knees and a sob tore from his throat. _What am I doing? _He asked himself. _I need to find Katara._ He was about to push himself up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped in surprise and looked up to find none other than Katara standing there. She knelt down in front of him, setting a steaming mug of tea down next to her, a concerned expression on her face.

"What's wrong Aang?" she asked gently, reaching a hand out to wipe away the tears on his cheeks.

"Katara…" the boy breathed with a heavy sigh of relief.

"I thought…nevermind." Aang didn't feel like repeating the dream to Katara, it reminded him too much of the horrors the war had forced him to see. Thoughts of mangled bodies, crying children, fire, and pain flooded his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut as if to keep them out.

"Aang." Katara said softly, stroking his forehead in an attempt to calm him. Though the war was half a year over, the memories still came back to haunt the boy. He would still wake up screaming sometimes, and spend half the night not being able to go back to sleep. When Katara had woken up to the sound of his whimpers, she had gone to make him a cup of tea for when he woke.

"You had another dream about the war didn't you?" it was hardly even a question. Aang nodded softly, looking dejectedly at his feet and shivering slightly. He wrapped his pale arms around his knees, trying to warm himself. The southern water tribe was cold, especially at night and the boy began to get goose bumps. Katara sighed and moved to retrieve the blanket from her bed to put around Aang's bare shoulders.

"Here." She said gently, offering him the tea she had made. He accepted it and took a small sip before setting it aside and resting his head on his knees. Though the war was over, it still brought him deep sadness to think of all the lives that had been lost in it, all the horrible things that it had caused to happen. Katara put an arm around him, pulling him close. She kissed his cheek, hoping to comfort him.

"Hey." She murmured.

"I know it's hard for you to move on Aang, but please don't be so sad. You saved millions of people, you should be proud."

Aang slowly turned his head to face her, his eyes glittering with unshed tears.

"I-I know I shouldn't be so upset Katara, but I just can't help it. I don't know why I'm this way, it just…it keeps coming back, it's like I _can't_ get away from it, I can't control my dreams, I just…" Aang stopped, wiping at his eyes and sighing heavily, not wanting to continue. Katara frowned and rubbed his back soothingly, slipping her hand under the blanket to trace the arrow on his spine lightly with her fingers. She tried to think of a way to somehow make him feel better, she hated to see him so sad.

"Cheer up, Aang. The war's over now. The world can finally move on thanks to you. All those people who you saved will always be grateful. Remember that one little girl who gave you a flower?" Katara tried to give him happy memories to banish the bad ones. Aang smiled for a moment, before the sad look returned.

"Her big brother died in the war." Katara gave a frustrated sigh, it was almost as though Aang didn't _want_ to feel better. She absentmindedly traced the tattoo on his left arm, before taking his hand in hers and kissing the back of it, twining her fingers with his.

"Come on Aang…what happened to the happy, sweet, funny kid I love so much? I miss him. Where'd he go?" she teased, feigning an expression of confusion.

"He's still there…somewhere…" Came the soft reply. Katara moved a hand to cup the boy's cheek in her palm, stroking the soft skin with her thumb.

"I love you." She murmured.

"You know that don't you?" Aang nodded, pulling the blanket closer around his shoulders.

"Can I come under there with you?" The waterbender asked after a moment's hesitation. Aang nodded again and Katara slipped under the blanket next to him, feeling her body warm almost instantly.

"Do you want to talk about it with me?" she offered. Aang sighed. He knew he'd feel better if he accepted, but it was a sensitive topic. He rested his head on Katara's shoulder, trying to decide.

"I'll always be here for you." She murmured. Aang nodded, sighed, and then began.

"It was…confusing. It didn't really make sense, it was just…some fire nation soldiers took you away…a-and they killed Sokka and Toph, there was screaming and fire…I didn't know what was happening…I couldn't save you…" Aang stopped and a single tear fell from his eye. Katara tightened her embrace around him as he shut his eyes, trying to banish the dream from his mind.

"It's alright." She assured.

"It'll be ok…" she rubbed his back gently. His eyes opened once more, and he looked up at the girl who held him in her arms, the smallest of smiles on his lips.

"Thanks Katara." He sighed. The two sat quietly for a while, Aang occasionally sipping at the tea Katara had made him until she spoke again.

"You know, there is one good thing that the war brought." She said thoughtfully. Aang lifted his head from it's comfortable place on her shoulder, and looked curiously at her.

"What's that?" he wondered. Katara smiled warmly and cupped his cheek.

"We can do this…" she brought her lips to Aang's and kissed him softly, watching as his eyes drifted shut and he gave a small groan of contentment against her mouth.

"Whenever we want." She pulled away after a moment and Aang's head quickly fell into its prior position, he suddenly felt very sleepy.

"That is nice…" he agreed, yawning. Katara giggled and rested her head atop his, not having the heart to suggest going back to their separate beds. She soon heard the boy's breathing even out, and she smiled, closing her eyes as well. She felt Aang's sweet, warm breath on her neck, slowly lulling her to sleep. She faintly remembered her mother saying something about everything having some good to it, and felt as though that had never been more true, for despite how horrible the war had been, it had brought her Aang.


	7. After The Awakening

A/N: Ok, so I wrote this today, for TTAvatarfan's request ;) . I already have the next chapter written, but I think I'll still wait 'till Wednesday or Tuesday to post it, the more time between the chapters the more reviews you get! But maybe if I get lots of nice, happy reviews for this one, I'll post the next chap sooner hint hint Oh, and I know this chapter is rather choppy. My biggest problem is, I know what's wrong with my stories, but I just don't know how to fix them.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang watched, feeling empty and even a little sick as he watched his glider burn in front of his eyes. He could hardly believe it, his faithful glider, always standing strong, one of his last ways to remember the monks, was gone. Almost as soon as the thoughts passed through his head, Aang cried out and tumbled down the slope of the volcano, pain eating away at his back. Immediately, Katara was by his side, pulling him close to her.

"Agh!" Aang buried his face into the waterbender's cloak, shaking with the effort of holding in tears. The pain in his back and the pang of loss he felt from the burning of his glider were the only things in his mind. Katara patiently patted his shoulder blade, careful to avoid the burn just below it as she waited for his moment of pain to pass. When his breathing seemed to even out, she smiled sympathetically as she wiped the tears from her own cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I-I just…I can't believe it's gone…" he breathed.

"I understand, it was special to you…but you still have your tattoos, and Appa and Momo, they're part of air nomad culture too…" the girl tried to cheer her friend up, wanting more than anything for him to be back to his old self. It was then that she heard his stomach growl, loudly. She smiled a little and stood up.

"C'mon Aang, up you go, let's get you something to eat." She offered. Aang sighed and then smiled as well.

"Sounds good." He agreed, extending his arm in a silent request for help. Katara bent down to his level and put her arm around his waist as he put his around her shoulders, pulling himself up with a grimace of pain. He leaned heavily on his friend, still feeling injured and exhausted after last night's events.

He sucked in a breath as pain attacked his back, the salt water had definitely not been a good thing for it.

"It'll be alright." Katara quickly soothed him, escorting him onto the ship and leading him to his chambers.

"Lay back." She then instructed, helping him into his bed. The boy smiled weakly as his friend offered a bowl of food.

"Thank you." He croaked, gratefully accepting the food and quickly devouring it, he was starving after not eating for those long weeks of unconsciousness. Katara smiled kindly at him, briefly touching her hand to his cheek, sending those familiar shivers down his spine.

"We were worried for a while there." She murmured, stroking his face.

"I'm sorry." Aang set his now empty bowl of food aside, looking regretfully at his knees.

"It's not your fault."

"It was that I ran away." The boy mumbled.

"Aang…" Katara wrapped her arms around him, embracing him lovingly.

"It's ok, we all make mistakes, and I don't blame you for feeling overwhelmed. It's hard, what you had to go through, but you made the right choice in the end, I forgive you, just don't do it again." She squeezed him affectionately in her hug, still mindful of the wound on his back.

"I won't." Aang promised.

The couple was silent for a moment before Aang spoke again.

"Is it ugly?" he asked, folding his knees up to his chest and resting his head on them. Katara looked puzzled.

"Is what ugly?" she wondered, pulling back from the embrace to look her friend in the eyes. Aang looked down, purposefully avoiding her gaze.

"T-the scar on my back…it's breaking the tattoo isn't it?" he mumbled, unable to help the question, it had been bugging him almost since he woke up.

"Aang…no, it's not ugly. Don't think like that. It's a mark of your bravery, and it's part of you, so of course it's not ugly." As if to prove her point, the waterbender bent to kiss the skin just above the burn, knowing that kissing the wound itself would hurt. A furious blush rose to Aang's cheeks and he felt his heart rate increase dramatically.

"Y-you don't think so?" he asked.

"Of course not, there's not one part of you that could be described as ugly, so don't worry about it ok?" she assured. Aang blushed.

"Ok." Katara had never thought before that Aang would be one to be self conscious, but she guessed she couldn't blame him, no one would normally think something that hurt so badly would be pretty.

"Do you want another healing session before bed?" she then asked, not wanting him to have to go to sleep uncomfortable. His face lightened considerably.

"Yes please." He said eagerly and Katara got behind him, unraveling the bandages covering the wound before bending the water out of her pouch and bringing it to her friend's back. Instantly, his muscles un-tensed and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"Where does it hurt most?" Katara asked.

"A little to the left…" Aang sighed out. The waterbender giggled, complying with her friend's request.

"You like that don't you?" she teased. Aang just blushed and closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of the soothing waters massaging his back. They felt good compared to the sting of the salty ocean water that had soaked into his bandages. He almost felt himself drifting to sleep, it was so comforting, only to be brought back into consciousness when the water was taken away.

"Thank you." He murmured, suddenly realizing how tired he felt.

"You're welcome." Katara smiled warmly at him and he lay down on his side, absentmindedly fiddling with the covers of the bed.

"Where do you sleep?" he asked casually. Katara blushed.

"A-actually, I usually sleep in here." She replied softly getting down on her knees in front of Aang. The boy felt his cheeks heat up as well.

"How come? There are tons of other rooms on this ship." He pointed out. Katara bit her lip.

"I know…but it just didn't feel right. After Azula…hit you, I wanted to be close to you, so I could heal you, and be there when you woke up. I-I just…I couldn't sleep without you in the room." She murmured, her blush deepening.

"But, I guess, now that you're up, you probably don't want me in here, so I'll just find another room." She gave Aang a quick smile, before turning around and picking up her water skin, preparing to leave. But the boy grabbed her wrist, holding her back.

"No…I don't mind you staying in here actually." He looked down and blushed before regaining his composure and speaking again.

"I've never really liked being alone, and I guess I'm used to sleeping next to you guys when we used to camp out every night." he admitted shyly. Katara couldn't help the smile that came to her lips.

"Thank you Aang." She murmured, before making her way to the sleeping bag at the foot of Aang's bed. He frowned.

"You take the bed Katara, it's not right that you have to sleep on the floor." The boy climbed out of bed, only to feel his legs give away underneath him and pain flare up in his back. He attempted to get back up, but once more, the pain in his back didn't allow that type of motion. He growled quietly to himself, hating the fact that he was so helpless. Immediately, Katara was by his side once more, helping him back into bed.

"You need the bed Aang, you're still hurt." She said firmly.

"So what? I've been lying in this bed for weeks, and you've been on the floor. It's not fair, and I refuse to sleep here, it's rude." Aang insisted with as much finality as Katara. The waterbender smirked.

"Alright then, we'll just have to share won't we?" she sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to win against Aang in this argument. The airbender felt the blood rush to his cheeks, he'd never shared a bed with a girl before, but what was he supposed to do? Not that he didn't _want_ to share a bed with Katara, it would just be awkward. Yet, he couldn't say no, for fear of offending her. It couldn't be that bad, he decided, they'd hugged before hadn't they? It wasn't like they'd be _doing_ anything, he reminded himself with a blush.

"O-ok." He agreed, scooting to the edge of the bed, close to the wall. Katara blushed as well as she climbed gingerly into bed next to her friend, smiling shyly.

"Goodnight Aang." She placed a gentle kiss on the boy's head, briefly rubbing her nose against his soft hair before she extinguished the candles in the room with her waterbending, submitting them into darkness.


	8. Changes

A/N: Since I got a bunch of reviews, I decieded to update faster! Plus, I did promise you guys kataangy passion! cue for oooh's and ahhh's This one pushes the T rating slightly but most of it is merely implications, so if you're twelve or over you should be fine reading this ;) . Also, I am now open to requests once more, so don't hesitate to suggest what you want to see!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender (I'm getting tired of writing that)

Katara looked out the window, exited and overjoyed that Aang was finally coming home tonight. After all these long months. Much to her dismay, he had been forced to leave almost instantly after their marriage, due to his duties as the avatar. It wasn't long before she saw him stumble into the yard, leaning heavily on his staff for support. Excitement instantly changed to worry when she saw how weak he looked, and she bolted out the door, ready to catch him if he fell.

"Aang!" she cried, rushing to his side and kissing him briefly on the lips before hugging him as tightly as she could.

"Hey Katara." Aang smiled tiredly at his wife, his gray eyes sparkling with happiness at being able to see his beloved again.

"Come inside Aang, are you hurt?" she asked, concerned as she put an arm around his waist, letting him lean on her rather than his staff.

"A little, but mostly just tired." The young man replied, trying his best to carry his own weight. Katara helped him inside and then to the bedroom that he had unfortunately never gotten the chance to sleep in. The waterbender helped him into the bed, kneeling next to him and smiling fondly. Aang sighed contentedly, glad to finally be lying down somewhere quiet.

"I missed you." Katara sighed, taking both of her husband's hands in her own. Aang smiled.

"I missed you too, I thought about you everyday and wished you were there. I'm so glad to finally be home." He breathed.

"And I'm so glad you're here. Take off your shirt now, I need to heal you." Katara opened the water skin she still carried with her and Aang smirked.

"You just want an excuse to see my bare chest don't you?" he teased, blushing as he removed his shirt.

"And what's wrong with that? We're married now, I'm supposed to think that way." Katara smiled, bending the water out of her canteen and pressing it to the wounds visible on her husband's chest. The young man felt his cheeks fill with heat, Katara's touch never ceased to have that effect on him.

"Seriously Aang, you're nineteen years old and you still blush when I touch you?" the waterbender giggled.

"It's not my fault! I haven't seen you, or any other girls for that matter for almost half a year, so you can't blame me." Aang replied, his blush deepening. Katara finished healing his wounds and smiled.

"I know Aang. It really seems like it's been forever doesn't it?" She sighed, gazing deeply into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I left so suddenly Katara, we didn't even get to have a honeymoon." Aang apologized, suddenly feeling regretful. He'd fantasized about a honeymoon with Katara almost since the day he'd met her.

"It's not your fault, we can always have one later. Are you hungry?" Katara's tone changed to concern, realizing that Aang probably hadn't had anything to eat all day.

He shrugged.

"I can live with it, you don't have to make me anything." He said modestly. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure. I-I just want you to stay here…with me for a while, if you don't mind." The airbender said rather shyly. Being away from Katara for so long had been hard on him, and now that he was here with her again, he didn't want to be separate from her for even a minute.

"Of course." The waterbender replied, rubbing her cheek against Aang's. Suddenly, a mischievous grin found its way onto the avatar's face.

"You know what I've really, really missed?" he asked, smiling up at his wife. She caught on quickly and feigned a look of curiosity.

"What?" she wondered. Aang sat up to the best of his abilities, leaning against the wall before capturing his wife's lips in his. She responded eagerly to the kiss, plunging her tongue into her beloved's mouth and placing her hands on his bare chest, running her fingers over the soft, pale skin. Aang wrapped one arm around her waist and tangled the fingers of the other hand in her hair. It wasn't long before he was lying on the bed again, Katara on top of him, trailing kisses down his neck and collar bone. She returned her mouth to his after a while, caressing his tongue with her own. The airbender moaned in pleasure, feeling sweat drip down his chest. It was times like these he was glad he and Katara had their own house and didn't have to worry about Sokka coming in during moments like these. Katara felt Aang's hands come under her shirt, massaging her stomach and sides affectionately, letting loose everything he hadn't been able to express the past few months. The waterbender let her hands trail lower and lower on her husband's body, until they reached the drawstrings of his pants. He broke the kiss and raised an eyebrow at his wife.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Katara nodded eagerly, hungrily catching his lips in hers once more.

As the night went on, the kisses between the two lovers became more and more passionate, they touched, tasted, saw, felt everything that they had yet to discover, finally letting loose the fevered desire they felt for each other. And as the last rays of sun faded from the evening sky, air and water became one, for the first time in over a century.

Aang opened his eyes and groaned softly, looking around to see sunlight streaming through the windows and Katara propped up on one elbow, smiling lovingly at him. He blushed at the feeling of their naked bodies pressed together, it was definitely a sensation he was not used to, but a not a bad one in the least. He smiled dreamily when he remembered the events of the previous night.

"That was the best night of my life." He confessed.

Katara sighed.

"Me too." She cupped her husband's cheek.

"Are you ever gonna grow out of this blushing thing?" she teased, feeling the warmth beneath her fingertips increase.

"I-I dunno, if you want me to I could try." The airbender said sheepishly. Katara laughed.

"I'm just kidding, it's cute." She kissed him softly before pulling away. She then moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest.

"You're amazing Aang." She breathed. The young avatar grinned broadly.

"You too, you're the only one I'd ever do that with." He returned.

"Same here…" she paused for a moment before blushing as she spoke again.

"Aang?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think….there's a chance that…maybe…we'll be parents?" Katara sounded hopeful and allowed Aang to place a warm hand on her abdomen under the covers.

"I wish I could tell, but I hope so." He replied.

"I do too, I'm so ready for it Aang, I want to have your children." Her eyes glistened with hope, and Aang felt his heart surge with love for the woman beside him, he found himself wishing more than anything that she was indeed pregnant.

"That…that really means a lot to me Katara." He smiled. The waterbender smirked.

"Well, what did you expect? We're married after all." She kissed Aang's forehead before climbing out of bed.

"I'm going to get dressed and eat breakfast, you can rest some more if you need to though, you're probably still tired from that trip." Aang nodded mutely, still feeling slightly dazed. Katara pulled a robe over her body and tied it shut in the front before picking out the clothes she planned to wear.

"Do you want any breakfast? I can bring it in here for you if you want." She offered.

"Nah, I think I'll just get up a little later and then have it." Aang declined and watched Katara's retreating back as she left the room. He then turned over and smiled shyly to himself, what had happened last night just might be the thing that would change his life forever.


	9. Dance Parties

A/N: Sorry for the wait once again! As you can probably guess by the title, this is based off of "The Headband." Feel free to give requests! The more I get the less time it should take me to put it up ;)

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Katara smiled contentedly as she lay back on Appa's saddle. This must've been the most magical night of her life. She could hardly believe that _Aang_ had wanted to dance with _her. _All the other girls were falling all over him, and yet he had ultimately chosen _her_ to dance with. The waterbender felt a pleasant tingle in her spine and her heart fluttered with affection for the boy she had grown to love so much. The whole party had been amazing, and she was surprised that she'd managed to keep her composure when Aang had led her in the dance. Her heart had hammered with anticipation the entire time and she had wanted nothing more than to grab Aang by the collar and kiss him. Her cheeks colored at the thought and she turned over so that her back was turned to her friends. At least she had gotten to kiss him after the party, even though it was only on the cheek it was still an effective way of letting loose some of the passionate feelings within her that just begged to be acted upon. Unfortunately, she didn't know if merely pecking the boy on the cheek would be sufficient much longer. It seemed as though her feelings for the airbender grew every time she laid eyes on him. It had pleased her to see that Aang was acting like himself again, it had torn her up inside when he had been so upset just days before. But then again, this was Aang, he never stayed in a bad mood for over a day. Another thing to love about him, and when he had held her at the end of that dance…Katara felt herself yearning to go back to that moment, it would've been the perfect time to kiss him. She gave a happy sigh, feeling sure that this was what true love felt like.

Little did she know, Aang was thinking almost the exact same things.

On the other side of Appa's saddle Aang touched his cheek and smiled. This had been the third time Katara had kissed that cheek, and he wouldn't wash it ever again if he could help it. As he replayed the whole evening in his mind he felt his cheeks glow, feeling rather proud of himself for somehow getting up the confidence to dance with Katara. He guessed it had been the whole light hearted atmosphere of the party that had given him the courage to ask her. If that were the case, then he would have to be sure to throw parties more often. Vaguely, the boy remembered Gyatso telling him a story similar to this when he had been a small child. It had been something about a young man falling in love with a beautiful girl…and there was a part where they had shared a romantic dance…and then eventually they got married and lived happily ever after. Aang felt his blush deepen. He remembered Gyatso telling him that someday he'd find love too. To which he had responded "Ewww Gyatso, girls are slimy and icky, I don't want to kiss anyone!" Though secretly, he couldn't help but be curious about this 'falling in love'. He had always been an affectionate person, and he liked it when people returned that affection. He had felt this way especially strongly after his twelfth birthday, when it seemed like nobody loved him and he had yearned for the affection he had received before he found out about being the avatar.

Now, he reflected, Gyatso had been right. He had found love, the only question was, did Katara feel the same way? He pushed the thought aside. He didn't want to have to worry about anything now, all he wanted to do was bask in the happy glow of the night's events. Then again, it wasn't as much fun to be happy alone…

"Katara?" Maybe, just maybe she had enjoyed the dance as much as he had.

"Hmm?" the waterbender rolled over to face him and he got down to her level lying on his side.

"I was…just wondering, did you…have fun tonight?" he asked, gray eyes lighting up hopefully. Katara blushed before smiling and tucking a lock of hair behind Aang's ear.

"You know I did. Why didn't you tell me you were such a good dancer though?" she laughed lightly, moving a hand down to lace her fingers with Aang's. The airbender's heart skipped a beat.

"Ummm…I just, I'm not really _that _good." He stammered, unsure of how to respond. Katara laughed again.

"I thought you were." She smiled when Aang blushed at the compliment.

"Thanks, you were too." An awkward silence followed this, and neither Aang nor Katara were sure how to fill it.

"You actually look really pretty in red." The airbender said suddenly, before clapping his hands over his mouth, realizing what had just come out of it. Katara laughed.

"Thank you Aang. You don't look so bad yourself. It's just…" she trailed off into silence and moved to touch the front of her friend's headband.

"I miss that big arrow, do you mind…taking off your headband for just a moment?" she asked, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks.

"Sure." Aang untied the knot at the back of his head, and set the headband in his lap. Katara smiled, reaching out to touch the blue arrow. Aang looked down at his legs and smiled a small smile as Katara ran her fingers lightly over the marking. He gasped when he felt the fingers replaced with lips. Before he even knew what was happening, the lips moved down to his and soft hands cupped his face, lifting it level to the waterbender's. The boy's eyes drifted softly shut as he returned the kiss eagerly, his lips still puckered when Katara pulled away. She giggled, her cheeks a deep crimson.

"Aang." She smiled and Aang gave a little jump, opening his eyes and un-puckering his lips.

"Oh! Hehe…" the boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, unable to help the dazed smile that had settled upon his lips. Katara giggled again.

"A good kisser and a good dancer, not to mention a great bender. I must be a lucky girl." She grinned. Aang didn't stay anything, he just beamed at her. Yes, he decided. He should definitely have more dance parties.


	10. Family

Ahhhh! Sorry for the wait! But unfortunately I think the one update a week thing will become regular, it seems I have a ton of prjects due all the time! I hate school. Anyways. Once again, I don't think the ending of this chap fits with the rest of the story, it's not too cheesy or badly written like some of the other ones, just unfitting. Remember I'm always open to requests!

_No._ Katara had refused to believe it when she'd first seen it. She felt lost, confused, angry, but most of all, shocked. She just couldn't seem to grasp the concept. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Gran gran wasn't supposed to die before Katara saw her again! When the messenger had given her the letter she had thought her eyes were deceiving her. It wasn't until she heard her brother's comforting words and saw her own tears on the letter that she realized it was all too true. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, before the girl let out a cry of grief, and without further warning bolted from the house. She didn't know how far she ran before she stopped, collapsing on her knees onto the ground and sobbing loudly into her hands. It was almost like loosing her mother all over again. Gran gran had cared for her and Sokka throughout a large part of their childhood, and even when their mother was still alive, she had been there. And now she was gone. Forever. Katara cried harder and allowed her tears to splash into the small pond at her knees. Why couldn't she at least have seen her dear grandmother one last time, just to say goodbye? The world is cruel sometimes, she reminded herself. Too cruel. Even though she had been separate from Gran Gran for months, it didn't dull the pain in the slightest, Katara felt lonely now, being the last woman in her family. If she were in a better mood she might've told herself that she and Aang could have a daughter someday, but now, she didn't feel like thinking that way in the least. Instead, she cried harder, her slender form wracking with sobs that she no longer had control of. She barely even noticed when rain began to pour from the sky and thunder boomed in the distance.

Aang opened his eyes, looking blearily around his room. He was still weak from his battle with the firelord, and under Katara's orders, he was on bed rest. He groaned. Where was she anyways? She was with him almost every time he woke up, until the time he went back to sleep. The boy shrugged it off, as much as he liked Katara's company, he understood if she needed some time by herself. After a few minutes of simply sitting in bed however, Aang got bored. He kicked his blankets off of his legs and climbed out of bed, only to realize he'd stood up way too fast when the blood rushed to his head, making him dizzy. He sat back down for a moment before rising again, this time successfully making it out of the small bedroom. Almost the second he stepped out however, he was met with a sight that he'd thought he'd never see. Sokka, the warrior was…crying? No it couldn't be, and where was Katara?

"S-Sokka?" the airbender asked. The older boy's head jerked up and he hastily wiped at the tears on his cheeks.

"Gran Gran's dead Aang." He muttered in a voice that cracked. _Oh no._ Aang felt a pang of guilt in his heart, knowing that he was the reason Sokka and Katara had not been able to see their grandmother in her last year. He felt horrible. Toph for once wasn't making fun of Sokka, instead she was rubbing his back in a caring manner, looking at her feet.

"Sokka…I'm really, really sorry, this is all my fault, I shouldn't have-" Sokka cut him off.

"It's not your fault Aang, go find Katara for me, it's not safe for her to be out there in that storm." He requested. Aang nodded, pulling on a dark red cloak before heading outside into the rain. It was only then that he realized he had no idea where Katara was. Perfect. He thought to himself. He looked down, and to his relief saw footprints in the mud, most likely belonging to the one he sought. He smiled weakly, wondering how Katara would react when she saw him. Would she be angry at him? Would she just be sad and cry? Or would she simply be sitting there calmly, trying to relax herself? He knew either one of these would break his heart. He hated seeing Katara upset, especially when he knew he'd played a part in making her that way. He also didn't like intruding on her personal moments, and this seemed like such a private thing, like the death of the monks had been to him. He hadn't gotten any sleep the night after he'd seen Gyatso's skeleton, he'd been too busy crying, and nothing anyone said to him made him feel any better. Was this how Katara felt now? He didn't want to intrude on a family thing, it felt like something that should stay between her and Sokka.

All thoughts stopped suddenly however, when the boy saw her. She was kneeling in the mud, her head buried in her hands and her slender figure shaking with sobs. Never had Aang seen her so distraught. Her clothes were splattered with dirt, her hair in a tangled mess, she didn't even seem to notice the rain falling on her. What she did notice however, was the warm hand that Aang placed on her shoulder.

"Sokka told me." He murmured.

"I'm sorry." Instead of a spoken reply, Katara flung arms around the boy, hugging his body close to hers as if to comfort herself.

"A-Aang…" she sobbed.

"Aang." Aang returned the embrace, rubbing her back in what he hoped was a comforting manner. She rested her head against his sopping chest.

"Wh-what are you doing here? You should be in bed, you could get sick." She said once she managed to catch her breath. Aang raised an eyebrow.

"So could you, you're soaked." He retorted. Katara didn't reply, she just sobbed and Aang hugged her closer, resting his head on her shoulder.

"C'mon Katara, we should get back, Sokka's worried about you." He murmured in her ear. She nodded and wiped at her eyes, though it was to little success as it was still pouring rain and she couldn't bring herself to stop crying. Aang offered his hand to help her up and she accepted it, not releasing it when she was on her feet. As they walked, Aang felt chills begin to run down his spine, and he shivered, sneezing after a moment as well. Katara was no better. The cold rain brought goose bumps to her skin and she recognized the symptoms in both herself and Aang of catching a chill. Right now though, she couldn't care less, all that she could seem to think about was Gran Gran, and how she would never see her again. Why oh why hadn't she written her a letter even once? Why had she left with Aang without a meaningful goodbye? She didn't know the answers, and that only made her feel worse.

"Ummm, Katara? We're here." The girl looked up to see Aang nervously fiddling with his fingers, standing in the doorway of the house.

"Sorry." The waterbender whispered in a hollow voice as she followed her friend inside. The first thing she saw was her brother with his head in his hands and she felt more tears form in her eyes. It seemed like her entire world was falling apart, everything seemed so…broken. When she looked at Aang, she saw a flash of pain cross his face and mistook it for his injuries acting up.

"C-come on Aang…you should still be in bed…" She placed a hand on her friend's back and walked with him to his room, not even caring that they were both soaking wet.

When the boy had obediently plopped into bed however, the gnawing feeling of loneliness inside her only grew and she felt the urge to be near him again. She took a deep breath, then wiped fresh tears from her cheeks and spoke.

"D-do you mind if…could I just lie with you for a while?" she asked somewhat nervously, unsure of how her friend would react. Aang tried to hide the blush that spread across his cheeks as he nodded, moving over to make room for his friend. She settled next to him and he tentatively reached an arm out to put around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. The two lay quietly together for a while, the only sounds being the rain outside and Katara's occasional sniffle. Then a question formed in Aang's mind. He opened his mouth to ask Katara, but then closed it again, thinking that this may not be the best time to talk about it. As he continued to ponder it in his mind though, the curiosity became too much.

"Katara?" He asked hesitantly.

"Can I ask you something?" The waterbender bested a smile.

"Sure you can Aang, what is it?" Talking to Aang seemed to be the best way to help keep her mind off her grandmother's death at the moment.

"What's it like…to have a family?" The boy wondered.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." He then added hurriedly. He saw a momentary flash of pain in Katara's eyes before she answered him, lacing her fingers with his.

"I don't think Gyatso was too different from having a father, but basically it's great. Family loves you no matter what you do, and you can always count on them to help you if you need it. They don't judge you and they make you feel better when you're upset." She explained, blinking back the tears that formed in her eyes in memory of her mother and grandmother. Her hand subconsciously went to the pendant that hung around her neck.

"I'm sorry you had to loose that, I guess I don't really understand since I've never had a family. I wish I could help…" Aang placed a hand on Katara's shoulder, he hated to see her so broken, but it didn't seem like there was much he could do. She smiled a little and placed her hand on top of Aang's.

"You already have." She murmured.

"You're my family too Aang, remember?" She pulled her friend into a tight hug, holding his body close to her own. She'd be fine, she decided, as long as she had Aang.


	11. Hugs and Kisses

A/N: Aw man guys I'm so sorry:'( . I just left you here for like three weeks, without any info! And then I come back with nothing but this sorry excuse for a oneshot, it's so dang short! I'm especially sorry to summersweetheart, whom I promised to write her request. I couldn't e ven do that much! I have started it, but I just felt stuck. And then there's school, and all it's evilness taking over my free time. Once again I'm so, so sorry! I just felt like I had to put something up, I'll really try to get working on summersweetheart's request soon :( . I wrote this one for sakunade's b-day, hers is actually on the same day as mine, the 22 of october :)

EDIT: You guys should also read summersweetheart's story Life Goes On. It's really good, it's about older Aang and Katara and their married life ;). So please read and review it!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

She watched him as he stared off at the sunset, Momo perched on his shoulder. Katara's cheeks colored when she realized that he was once again shirtless, as he had been often these days to help with the heat. The girl shivered, Aang seemed to be getting handsomer everyday, or had he always been that way and she just hadn't seen it? She didn't remember feeling this way before, hadn't felt this urge to trace his tattoos over and over. After the fall of Ba Sing Se, Katara had felt a strange realization. Aang was a _boy_. Of course she'd known this before, but only subconsciously. Before he had only been her best friend and she hadn't really thought about him as a member of the opposite sex. But now she couldn't help but feel more than aware of his developing masculine features. He was getting taller as well, now all she had was a couple of inches on him, maybe even less, he was up to somewhere around her ear. _He's growing up. _Katara smiled, though he was indeed growing up, he was still a child in many ways, and she had a feeling he always would be to some extent, it was just who he was. While others saw this as a flaw or viewed it as immaturity, Katara found it just another one of the many things to love about him. He was friendly, sweet, affectionate, social, funny, honest, loyal, modest, brave, good tempered…the list went on almost infinitely in the waterbender's mind. And though she had been unsure of it at first, she knew now without a doubt that she was in love with her best friend.

"Aang." She called softly to him, and he jumped in surprise before turning around to face her. He blushed.

"Oh hey Katara…what are you doing here?" he asked. Instead of answering him with words, Katara pulled him into a fierce embrace, pressing herself flush against him. His body stiffened briefly at the unexpectedness of her actions before he returned the hug, fastening his arms around her back. He was about to ask of her reasons for this sudden display of affection, but decided against it. He was comfortable here, and he would take advantage of any opportunity he got to be near Katara. The embrace tightened even more if possible, and Aang rested his jaw on his friend's shoulder. The wind blew through their hair and clothes and Katara closed her eyes, inhaling its scent mixed with Aang's. After a long moment however, Aang's arms began to feel numb. He chuckled nervously.

"Uh…Katara?" he asked.

"Yeah Aang?" It didn't seem like she was fully there with him, like a part of her was drifting somewhere else.

"Um…I can't…feel my arms." Immediately, Katara released him, and he suddenly felt much colder.

"Oh Aang I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you…" The girl's face turned crimson as she spoke. Aang laughed lightly.

"It's alright, you didn't hurt me. So…should we get back to camp?" He smiled warmly at his friend, hoping to put her more at ease. Instead, she blushed again.

"Just a sec." she replied, before stepping towards him. He looked curiously up at her, unsure of what she was about to do. She cupped his face in her hands, tilting his chin up just slightly. He could feel the warmth from her finger tips transfer directly to his cheeks, tinting them pink. Slowly, Katara lowered her lips to his forehead, placing sweetest, most tender of kisses upon the blue arrow there. Aang didn't move an inch, despite the fact that his heart was thundering loudly in his chest. When Katara released him, they were both blushing furiously, Aang rubbing the back of his neck and grinning rather stupidly at a patch of grass by his feet. After a moment, he managed to sum up the courage to look at Katara.

"I-I…why?" he asked at last. Katara smiled shyly.

"Because you deserved it……don't ever change Aang." Aang grinned as well, cheeks darkening another shade.

"Only if you don't."

Katara's smile broadened and she took her friend's hand.

"I won't."


	12. The Puppetmaster: Bloodbending

A/N: Once again, sorry for the wait! Originally, I was doing something else, but then I saw the puppetmaster and this just seemed so much more appealing and easy to write. (don't worry summersweetheart, it still fits you long awaited request ;) and TTAvatarfan's request is next chappie, after that I think I'll take a brief request break and write something of my own) I know there are already tons of these out there too, but I just couldn't help but write something like them after I saw that ep. Once again, I don't think the ending fits very well with the body, so I think I should really start writing these in one sitting as when I come back to it at different times, I'm in a different mood and therefore want to write fluff instead of angst or something which is exactly what happened here unfortunately. I hope you guys like it regardless! But it's ok if you don't, I understand :)

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang looked up at the sky and watched as the droplets of water began to fall from it. He held his knees to his chest, the sound of Katara's continuous crying echoing through his head. He felt horrible for not being there to protect her earlier, for letting Hama get her like that. She lay in the earth tent Toph had made her now, still crying. She had told her friends upon arriving at their camp site that she wanted to be left alone, and she hadn't allowed even Sokka to follow her into the earthen tent. Though Aang respected her wishes for privacy, he could quickly feel his self restraint slipping away. He wanted so badly to be with her now, to hold her the way she often held him and let her know that he would be there for her. He bit his lip when he heard another sob echo from the tent behind him, literally forcing himself to stay where he was.

"Go to her already, Aang." He then heard Toph's voice say from beside him. He looked over at her, puzzled.

"I thought…but she said she wanted to be by herself, remember?" he replied. Toph rolled her eyes.

"You're really just going to leave her there alone? She's always been there when you're upset, you owe her at least that much back."

Aang sat quietly for a moment before nodding.

"Alright." He said.

"I'll check on her." The boy stood up and turned in the direction of Katara's tent, pausing briefly at the entrance before stepping fully inside. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her. Katara lay on her side, legs curled to her chest as she cried and breathed heavily. Sweat shimmered on her now pale face, making her look slightly ghostlike. Aang ran the rest of the way to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, surprised when she didn't push him away. Instead, another ragged sob escaped her mouth at his touch and she rolled over to face him, blue eyes shimmering with tears.

"A-Aang…" she choked out. The picture of her friend's face above her was fuzzy, in fact everything in the room seemed to be. Her head spun and her stomach tumbled, threatening to eject its contents.

"It's ok, Katara…" the boy murmured, placing a cool hand on her forehead. He frowned, though he didn't know much about illnesses, Katara was definitely warmer than normal, and it worried him. He felt furious at Hama now, how dare that witch do this to his friend?! How dare she put her in this state, bring her down enough to make her cry, make her feel so terrible that she got sick? _Anger's not going to help anyone._ He then reminded himself, forcing his fury down.

"I-I feel so horrible, Aang…" Katara suddenly sobbed, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"I _am _horrible…I'm a…a…bloodbender…" she shuddered as the word left her lips and Aang barely had time to brush her hair away before she vomited, trembling violently as her stomach expelled its contents. She was crying even harder when she finished, holding the cover of her sleeping bag in a near vice like grip. Aang then hugged her tightly, rubbing her back in a caring manner.

"You're not horrible." He insisted.

"None of what happened was your fault, Hama forced you into it. And besides, you saved a whole village of innocent people…" Katara didn't seem to hear him, for she only sobbed louder. She gasped and gulped for air, still feeling dizzy and nauseous and oh so sick. Burying her face into Aang's tunic, she inhaled his familiar, soothing scent, wishing that she could just _get away _from all of this. For once, she wasn't proud of her title as waterbending master, instead it sickened her. The ability to control another's body was repulsive, disgusting, revolting.

"I don't want it Aang." She sobbed.

"I don't want to know bloodbending…I want it to go away…" Aang could've sworn he felt his heart break. He wanted so badly to be able to do that for her, to make everything better the way it used to be. But he couldn't. Katara put a hand over her mouth and Aang quickly laid her back down, holding her hair away from her face and rubbing her back as heaved once more, sending a bitter taste through her mouth. Her eyes were glazed when she looked at him again, a bead of sweat trickling down her brow to mix with the unyielding flow of tears.

"Here." Aang tore a piece of fabric from his own shirt and bended some of the rain water from outside to dampen it before he placed it on Katara's forehead. He then took the girl's hand, squeezing it gently and stroking the back of it with his thumb. Still, she cried. _What can I do?_ Aang asked himself desperately.

"It's okay Katara…" he said softly at last, not knowing what else to do. He patted her shoulder with the hand that wasn't holding hers, then touched her cheek, gently brushing away the tears there. But once his hand was on her face, he couldn't seem to bring it away again. So he kept it there, tenderly cupping his friend's cheek, almost in a silent plea for her to feel better. She shut her eyes, and Aang smiled just slightly when he heard a soft

"Thank you Aang…" Her pain seemed to be numbed by the avatar's touch, and for a moment she forgot about bloodbending, Hama, her sickness, and suddenly felt very tired. Aang felt her grip on his hand relax gradually, until it went limp and he heard her breathing even out as she drifted into sleep. The boy allowed his smile to grow, relieved that Katara was at least temporarily free of her worries. Leaning down, he kissed her softly on the cheek before reluctantly pulling away. He didn't want to leave her, not now, when she needed him. She had always stayed with him when he was upset or afraid, sometimes even slept next to him in the night, regardless of what Sokka would say. _Just for tonight._ He then decided, lying down next to Katara's sleeping form and snuggling close to her, never once relinquishing his hold on her hand. He took in one last sight of her face before he shut his own eyes, drifting off into the world of dreams.


	13. Failure

A/N: Yes, I know this took _forever _to come. I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting again! But school is becoming extremely time consuming, like I said, there's almost constantly a new project to do. Also, I'm sorry to TTAvatarfan, as this isn't her request, but I am working on it! It's just after watching DOBS I got a ton of inspiration to write this, inspiration is one thing I am not short of lol. I have tons of ideas popping up and some of them are already started, so I think I'll take a break from requests for now, aside from TTAvatarfan's which I've already started on. Until I get that one up, I hope you enjoy this! Once again though, I think I made my happy ending just a bit too happy to fit the rest of the story headesk

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I_ hope Aang's ok. _Katara thought gloomily to herself. Her friend had hardly said a word to anyone upon arriving at the western air temple, and as soon as everyone was in their temporary rooms for bed, Aang had shut himself away in his own, without even saying goodnight. Katara heaved a long, heavy sigh, feeling the urge now more than ever to go to him, just to be sure he was alright. She swung her legs down off of her bed, and traipsed towards the door of her room, stepping out into the long, stone hall. A noise that sounded strangely like someone earthbending greeted her ears and she stood still for a moment, listening closely. Sure enough the sound came again and in the direction of…Aang's room? _That's strange._ Katara commented to herself. _Why would Aang be earthbending in his bedroom?_ Curious, but at the same time concerned, the girl began to make her way to the source of the sound, careful to walk quietly so as not to disturb the others who were surely trying to sleep. She took a deep breath when she arrived at the door to Aang's room and slowly turned the knob. The boy sat on a bed in the corner of the room, and Katara's eyes widened when she saw him drive his fist into the wall, creating a small crater. His breathing was harsh and labored, an indication that he had been crying, and there were multiple other craters in the wall. _That can't be good._ Normally earth benders did not make direct contact with the stone when the bended, only occasionally. Aang drew his fist back again, but before he could deliver another punch Katara closed the door behind her and ran to his side, grabbing his wrist. He whipped around to face her, cheeks glittering with tears and eyes flashing with anger.

"Aang." Katara said gently.

"Don't-" Aang didn't give her a chance to finish her speech. He tried to wrench his hand away from her grasp, unsuccessfully and grunted with frustration, more tears spilling down his cheeks. Katara sighed, moving her hand down to his and frowning when she saw that his knuckles were bruised and covered in blood. She tenderly brushed a thumb over the wounds before looking into Aang's eyes.

"Aang." She tried again.

"Please don't do this to yourself, it's not going to help anyone." Aang wrenched his head away from her gaze.

"I don't care. Nothing I do now is going to help anyone…every time I try to, I fail. That's all I'll ever be good for." He said bitterly, a hint of a sob in his voice. Katara brought her other hand to his cheek, turning his head back towards hers.

"That's not true Aang. Don't beat yourself up so much, it's not your fault. We all just…made a mistake by thinking we had the element of surprise." She comforted. Aang averted his eyes from hers.

"You're right, it was a mistake. It was all a big mistake that I somehow was chosen to be the avatar, I can't do anything right. I never can. I'm just a stupid little kid…and I'm letting everybody down." He turned his body completely away from Katara, hunching over to hide his tears, the last thing he needed was more humiliation. But try as he might, he couldn't disguise his crying. His shoulders began to shake, and his breathing grew shallow and raspy.

"Aang…" Katara murmured, putting an arm around him without hesitation. He turned his head away from her, but didn't have the heart to let her arm slip from around his shoulders.

"I-I let you down too Katara…I'm sorry." He felt so ashamed, so guilty. How could Katara still act this friendly towards him after everything he'd done wrong? It was his fault that her father was in prison afterall, and who knew what kind of torture he would be put through? He heard his friend sigh as she tightened her hold on him.

"No Aang, you didn't. I told you, we just made a mistake, if it's anyone's fault it's Azula's, and you can't take all the blame for it. Even though you're really, really strong and powerful, you're still one person, no one could possibly do everything alone." Aang drew a shaky breath and Katara could tell that she was slowly breaking down the wall he had built around himself.

"H-how can you not be mad at me? I've put you, everyone, through so much, and all for nothing. Your father went to prison for _me_, I-I feel like such a failure." He whispered, finally allowing his head to drop, giving Katara a view, if not one somewhat obscured, of his face. Tears glistened on his cheeks, his brow was creased with emotion, and his eyes which had earlier held a look of anger and self hatred, now held nothing but sadness, frustration and a cry for help.

"Look at me." Katara's voice was gentle, but firm. Slowly, reluctantly, Aang obeyed, turning his head in the direction of Katara's voice. With the arm that wasn't around his shoulders, Katara took his hand, lacing her fingers with his before speaking.

"I love you, more than anything on this earth, I care about you so much, and I'd never get mad at you just because we made a mistake. You're human, Aang, and it happens to everyone, even avatars. Please, don't be so harsh on yourself, you deserve better than that, you should be proud for coming so close, you were so brave and strong and you inspired everybody." She smiled at him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, hoping that her words had gotten through to him. Aang couldn't stop his heart from fluttering slightly. Though she had clearly returned his kiss that morning, confirming that she had feelings for him as well, it still made him feel lightheaded to hear her actually say that she loved him. If nothing else, it was a small comfort from the crushing feeling of defeat that consumed him at the moment. He sighed shakily and brought his knees up to his chest.

"Things are worse now though. Now Azula knows I'm alive and that we're going to attack before Sozin's comet comes. That's only a few weeks away. I-I was so ready…to finally face Ozai, and now we have to go through all of it again, I just don't know what to do anymore." Tears of frustration burned the back of his eyes again and he closed them, crying wasn't going to solve anything, though it was really all he wanted to do right now. He didn't feel like the avatar, he just felt like a helpless little boy.

"Oh Aang…" Katara let go of his hand and pulled him towards her, leaning her head against his. He couldn't help but melt into the embrace, it felt so comforting and so right, like all of his failure was being forgiven. Katara was silent for a moment before she spoke again, pulling back just slightly from the embrace to look once more into Aang's moist gray eyes.

"It's going to be ok. We don't have to worry about the next invasion just yet, and besides, we have more people to help us plan it this time. You _can_ do it Aang, I know you can. It's your destiny. So just…calm down, we'll get through this together alright?" She smiled lovingly at him once again and he couldn't help but return it when she began to slowly lean in. She cupped his face and brushed away his tears with her thumbs until her lips met his for the second time that day. He forced back the whimper that threatened to escape him and leaned into the kiss, loving the feeling of Katara's soft lips against his. After what seemed like forever, they broke, and then hugged each other once more.

"Thank you." Aang murmured.

"I really needed that." He wiped away the remaining tears in his eyes and on his cheeks with the back of his hand, finally smiling.

"The kiss or the talk?" Katara teased gently, now considering it safe to joke with him again.

"Both." His shining gray eyes met her blue ones, now filled with renewed hope. He felt a rush of gratitude for Katara, not wanting to think about where he'd ever be without her.

"Anytime." She put a hand on his shoulder and then leaned over to place a soft kiss on his cheek. He blushed, an instinctive reaction by now and his smile widened.

"You're a much better therapist than Sokka." He laughed and Katara joined in. When the giggles died down, Aang sighed, suddenly feeling very sleepy. He yawned rather loudly and Katara smiled fondly at him.

"Getting tired?" she asked.

"Yeah…"

"Get some rest, you've had a rough day." Though Aang would've liked to stay up just a bit longer to stay with Katara, her tone, though soft and gentle, booked no room for argument. She got up off the bed so he could lie down properly and he curled onto his side, drawing his knees up to his stomach. Still smiling, Katara leaned down, her soft, wavy hair gently brushing Aang's face, and gave him one last, quick kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight Aang, I'll see you when you wake up."

" 'Night." Katara turned to leave but turned around when she reached the door.

"I love you." She murmured, and then she was gone. Turning over in his bed, Aang smiled to himself, thinking that just maybe he wasn't in such a bad situation afterall.


	14. Finally Over

A/N: Finally! I'm sorry I kept you guys waiting so long...again, it's partly because of school, and partly because I was bursting with other ideas of things to write, so I just kept straying away from this :( . Another thing, I've reread this entire series, and some chapters, I just really can't stand. So, I'm wondering if I should delete some of them. These would include chapters 4, 5, 13, 15, 16 and 26. If you feel that you would also like me to delete any of these, please tell me in your reviews. Also, in the time that I've been 'gone', I've written a minific thingy about what it would've been like if Aang and Katara were in a concentration camp during the holocaust. I know, I'm such a nerd, trust me to combine a nick tv show with a historical event. I was originally going to keep it to myself, but then I decided to have a vote on it, so tell me in your reviews weather you want or don't want to see it. I'm also not sure if it should be rated T or M if I do post it, so I'd like it if one of you could read it over to check. If you do think it should be M though...I'm not sure if I'd want to post it afterall because technically fourteen year olds shouldn't be writing in that category ;)

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender:

"Ughhh…" Aang felt a rush of pain as he came to, spreading through every nerve in his battered, beaten body. Sluggishly, he opened his gray eyes, taking in his surroundings. It seemed he was in a tent of some sort, and he distantly heard shouts coming from outside. He desperately tried to focus on how he had come here, what had happened. Straining his memory, he was able to get pictures of a cold stone room, then Katara's arms holding him…the last thing he could remember was feeling Appa's soft fur on his back as the bison took off. But that still didn't tell him where he was now. He thought for another long moment before coming to the conclusion that he was most likely in a healing tent. With a grunt of effort, he attempted to push himself up, only to feel pain strike through his torso, forcing him back down. Now that he thought about it, everything seemed to ache. His head, his stomach, chest, arms, legs…. He moaned a bit, suddenly wishing that he'd stayed asleep just a bit longer. The shouting outside seemed to echo through his throbbing head, adding to the dizziness that he already felt. Why were they yelling like that? Then he remembered, the firelord was gone. The thought seemed almost too good to be true, after all the stress, all the lessons and planning and pain, all the blood and sweat and tears, it was finally all over. He had done it, he had saved the world. Now he might finally have a chance to be what he wanted to be for now, a kid. A very weak, frail kid at the moment of course, it would be a while before he could get up and run around again. But right now, that didn't even seem to matter. The boy gave a happy sigh, it felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his chest. He hoped the monks were proud of him, wherever they were.

"Aang?" A soft, familiar voice halted his train of thought and he turned to look at the entrance of the tent, seeing Katara there, smiling at him. He tried to sit up again, but once more, the pain flared up and he lay back down, watching Katara come towards him. She broke into a run when she saw him react to her presence and flung herself at him with a small cry of delight, catching him in her arms and pressing his body close to hers in a bone crushing hug. Aang didn't even have time to notice the pain, all he felt were Katara's warm arms around him. He leaned into her embrace, which was the closest he could come to hugging her back and smiled over her shoulder.

"You're ok." She breathed, and Aang felt something warm and wet slide down his neck. Katara pulled back and wiped at her eyes, laying him back against his pillows. He smiled weakly at her.

"H-how long have I been out?" he asked before groaning. It hurt even to talk.

"Only a day this time. But I was worried about you, I've been healing other soldiers too, and there are so many injured or close to death…there wasn't much water left to heal you with. I can only pull so much out of the air, and whenever I came to check on you, you looked so bad. I-I was afraid I'd loose you again." She wiped at her eyes again and Aang wished he had enough strength to sit up and hug her.

"I'm fine." He insisted, though contradicting himself when he instantly winced and clutched at his bandaged ribs. Katara smiled just a bit.

"You will be, but right now you're still weak, you might've cracked a few ribs, and I'll need a lot of water to fix it. I couldn't heal all of your burns either, and you've lost a lot of blood." She explained.

"Are Sokka and Toph alright?" he questioned. Katara nodded and hushed him as he began another question.

"Don't talk so much Aang." She murmured.

"Why not? Is it bad for me, _doctor_ Katara?" He couldn't help but tease her a little despite the pain of talking, he hadn't laughed at all in two days, nor heard Katara laugh, and in his opinion that was much too long. She rolled her eyes at him then smirked.

"Do I have to force you to stop talking?" she asked.

"It depends, how are you going to do it?" Aang replied slyly. Without further explanation, Katara leaned in and captured his lips in her own, kissing him softly. She felt him trying his hardest to return the gesture of love, but his injuries inhibited him from going much further. The waterbender pulled away after a moment, not wanting to overwhelm Aang in his feeble state. She then cupped his face and stroked his cheek gently with her thumb, looking deeply into his gray eyes. He grinned at her, blushing slightly.

"You know, I may just want to talk some more." He said mischievously. Katara laughed lightly and kissed his forehead before becoming serious again.

"Honestly Aang, you need to rest, for now, it's the only way you can get better." She told him softly.

"But I won't be able to fall asleep if I have too many questions, please Katara, can't we just talk for a while?" he begged, giving the girl his best puppy dog eyes. Once again she laughed and Aang smiled to himself, if there was one thing that he was proud of himself for it was that he could always seem to make Katara laugh. He grinned hopefully at her and she gave in, not having the heart to deny him what he wanted. Afterall, it was the least she could do for him after everything he'd gone through to save the world.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" she asked. Aang thought for a moment, now that he'd actually gotten Katara to let him stay up with her, he wasn't sure what he wanted to talk about. Then it came to him.

"Well…what are we going to do now?" Aang could think of a million questions relating to that one, and suddenly a grip of panic struck him. Surely there would be many peace treaties and agreements between the nations to negotiate, not to mention the coronation of the new firelord that he would need to be there for. Would Katara and Sokka and Toph want to stay with him now that the original purpose of their journey was complete? Surely they would want to go back home to see their grandmother, and Toph's parents were more than likely to be sick with worry for her. Aang couldn't bear the thought of doing it all alone, friendless, but if his friends wished to leave, it would be selfish to prevent them from doing so. This seemed to have brought up a conflict in Katara's mind as well, for she hesitated a long moment before replying.

"I don't…know. I guess it all depends on how all the nations react to Ozai being…gone." She replied softly. Aang looked up at her beseechingly, noticing that she hadn't mentioned anything about their future together. He gulped before he asked his most pressing question.

"What about…us? You know, our relationship, our little group? I can take you back to the south pole if you like…" It nearly tore his heart to shreds to make that offer, but he was willing to sacrifice his happiness for Katara's if need be. Her eyes grew wide.

"NO! I-I mean, not yet, you're in no shape to travel, and besides, I can't just leave you, not now, after everything we've done. Once you get better I suppose I'd like to visit gran gran for a few weeks, but there's no way I'd abandon you so I could go back to living at the South Pole again…we've come too far for that." She took the boy's hand in both of her own, a faint blush appearing on her tan cheeks. He breathed an inward sigh of relief, if there was one thing that could almost instantly sadden him it was the absence of friends.

"Thank you." He murmured, suddenly realizing that he had neglected to say that, it was her who had saved him after all, had she not come so quickly for him, he might have bled to death. She smiled and began to lean in.

"You're welcome…" Aang closed his eyes and Katara took his hand, he could feel her warm breath on his lips, just a little further…

"Katara! There you are, one of the other healers needs your help!" Katara whipped around to see her brother standing at the entrance to the tent, interrupting what had promised to be a good kiss. She scowled at him and Aang closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

"Fine." She growled

"Just a second." As soon as Sokka disappeared, Katara pressed her lips against Aang's in an abbreviation of what she had originally planned. His eyes opened and a blush formed on his cheeks when she pulled away. She then smirked and brushed herself off, heading towards the exit.

"I'll be back soon, get some more rest if you can." And then she was gone. Aang sighed and closed his eyes again. For the first time in his life, he had all he felt he could ever want.


	15. Dating

A/N: Fluff! (I know TTAvatarfan, I can almost hear you groaning xD. I'll make next chapter angsty for you though, I promise ;)) So...I really don't have much to say about this one, except for I think I made Aang a little too indulgent. But hey, it's Aang. At least I'm not making him like...cruel and powerhungry or something, because that would be a lot worse ;). Anyways!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Aang sighed miserably and put his head in his hands.

She was gone. Again. Without even saying goodbye. Aang knew she'd come back, she always did, late at night when everyone else was already asleep. But he'd stay awake for her, awaiting her return.

He sorely missed those hours they would sit together in the sunshine, how it would make her so happy to just be with him and speak with him. But not anymore.

No, those wonderful times had stopped happening approximately two months ago, when Katara had started – Aang shuddered at the thought – dating. That's what she called it anyways. No longer was he her favorite person to spend time with, instead, Katara was out trying to find other boys to hang around with, to laugh with and talk with, to share kisses with, something Aang had yearned to do again ever since he'd had that taste on the day of black sun.

Even though those days nearly two years ago had been incredibly stressful for Aang, he couldn't help but want them back, for then, Katara had still spent time with him, helping him and talking with him and laughing with him. It had remained that way for the next two years, until now.

Aang sighed again.

Every now and then, Katara would bring one of her 'dates' to eat dinner with them, and tonight would be one of those nights. Aang hated them. Katara had brought home nearly five boys already over the past two months, and Aang liked none of them. He felt like he barely existed during those dinners, Katara didn't once look at him, and if her date did, it would be a glare. He would glare right back, but look away as soon as Katara noticed something was up. He'd feel so lonely, he almost always did now, and he feared Katara was forgetting all about him. He didn't understand it. He wanted Katara to be happy, he really did, but he just didn't understand how she could be looking for happiness in all of these different people. She barely knew them for one, the monks had always told Aang that strong relationships took time to build, and could not happen overnight. And she used to seem so happy with him…He'd thought they'd shared such a strong bond, Katara used to care for him when he was sick, she used to comfort him when his nightmares left him in frenzied screaming and sobbing, she used to hold him and kiss his cheek when he was upset, and he would more than willingly do the same for her when the opportunity presented itself. But no more.

"Thinking about Katara?" Sokka's familiar voice startled Aang out of his thoughts and the warrior placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. He untensed and looked at the ground.

"Yeah." He muttered.

"I understand buddy, I don't really get this whole dating thing either, none of those guys she brings seem right." Aang looked up.

"I know, and I think she's forgetting about us Sokka, she's never there anymore, what if…what if we loose her? What if she finds what she thinks is the right guy and never comes back?" Unbeknownst to him, his voice had taken on a rather urgent tone, which Sokka picked up on. He hastened to reassure his troubled friend.

"She's only sixteen Aang, and even though that's marrying age in our tribe, I don't think she'd be that quick to make such a big decision. She may be acting this way now, constantly trying to find guys and all, but it won't last long, and she'd wait for someone she knows really well before she accepts any proposals. I think she'll be perfectly safe, don't worry." He smiled at Aang, who couldn't find it in him to return it.

"But…I-I love her Sokka." He croaked.

"I need her. I want her to be happy but…this just doesn't make sense to me. How could she just throw away everything we've been through? How could she just forget me? I understand if she doesn't love me back, but I'd still want to be her friend, she doesn't even seem interested in that anymore." Aang shook his head and blinked back the hot liquid that pricked his eyes. Sokka frowned, remembering how he'd felt when Yue had told him that she was engaged. It had been one of the most painful moments of his life, and even though Katara wasn't engaged, he guessed Aang must be feeling similar.

"Love hurts sometimes buddy, and honestly, there's not much you can do to help that. But you still have a chance with Katara, she's only just started looking for guys, and you know her better than any of them. You're closer to her than any other guy on the planet, except maybe me, but I'm her brother. You know what she's been through, what she likes, what she doesn't like…I'd say you still have a pretty good shot, you just need to give her time." Aang's eyes shone briefly, unable to help the feeling of hopefulness that was beginning to swell inside of him.

"Really?" he asked.

"You think so?" Sokka laughed at that familiar look of youthful enthusiasm that Aang had always been able to produce better than anyone else he'd ever known.

"Yeah, you go for her Aang, plus…I think she has a thing for those tattoos." He gave the younger teen a friendly punch in the shoulder before standing up. Aang blushed but smiled, and stood up as well.

"Come on, she'll probably be here any minute for that dinner."

----------------------------------Dividing line-------------------------------------------

As usual, Aang had to force himself to stay at the table for the entire meal. The boy Katara had brought today bothered him even more than the others usually did. He'd constantly touched Katara during dinner, and looked like he was almost straining to prevent himself from taking it too far. Luckily, Katara seemed to notice this, and did not go out after him when dinner ended. However, she did follow Aang as he left through the back door. He knelt down by the small turtleduck pond, laughing lightly when its occupants swam up to him. He guessed they'd gotten used to him bringing them crumbs, for they would always come to him when he approached. Fortunately, he had brought some for them today, and held out his hand for them to eat from. A smile crept over his features as they did, and for a moment he forgot about Katara. That was, until he felt the unmistakable feeling of her hand on his shoulder and heard the sound of her voice.

"You're really good with animals." She complimented, smiling at him. He shrugged.

"Thanks." His heart rate had begin to speed up, and he was glad it was dark so Katara couldn't see his blush. Oh why did he always get this way around her? It wasn't fair, she was going out with other guys, and she still managed to do this to him every time she got near him. He felt so…powerless. It was as though he was her puppet, she could do whatever she wanted to him, and he really wished she'd choose to be near him so he wouldn't feel so empty like he always did these days. Abruptly, he found himself questioning the reasons for this.

"Katara…why are you doing this?" He asked, cursing himself for the slight hint of pleading in his voice.

"Doing what?" She replied simply, effectively hiding the fact that she knew exactly what Aang was talking about.

"Dating. Always going out with these random guys you find." _Why are you leaving me?_

Katara bended a stream of water from the pond, feeling her cheeks go red.

"I guess…I want to find the right guy. Everyone else in my tribe find husbands at this age, and I just don't want to end up with the wrong one, I think that's why I'm trying so many people…" Her expression changed suddenly from calm, to rather desperate.

"I just don't want to be left behind you know? Everyone's coupling up, and the ones who don't always get looked down upon. People make fun of them, and everyone thinks they're ugly or stupid or something because they don't have husbands, and I'm afraid if I don't find someone by the time I'm twenty then…" she broke off and Aang finished for her.

"That'll be you?" he asked. Katara nodded, moving her head away from his gaze. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, it won't be. You'll find someone, so just be patient. You're only sixteen you have plenty of time to get married and all of that. Besides, there's probably millions of guys out there that would love to be with you, I mean you're pretty and smart and you're always really, really nice!" Katara blushed again, if there was anyone who wouldn't have trouble finding someone, it was him.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"You're really nice too, and I've always thought you were kinda cute." Aang's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Had Katara actually just called him cute?! Oh wow…Katara giggled at her friend's expression.

"I missed you." She sighed.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have abandoned you all these weeks to spend time with people I barely know, you deserve better than that, I should've been a better friend to you. And I wouldn't blame you if you were mad at me for that."

"It's alright, I understand, now that you told me why." Suddenly, the talk Aang had had with Sokka earlier flew into his mind._ You go for her Aang._

"Hey Katara, can I ask you something?" Rather than answering his question, Katara took his hand.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something." Aang lifted his eyes cautiously to hers.

"Sure." He said softly. Katara took a deep breath before speaking.

"Would you…would you like to be my boyfriend?" _What?! _Aang couldn't believe his ears, but yet Katara was sitting there, looking at him with a combination of embarrassment and expectancy, obviously waiting for an answer.

"I'd understand if you don't...I don't want to pressure you into anything, and you totally deserve better after the way I've been treating you these past few weeks but…" Aang cut her off.

"I'd love to." He said sincerely, grinning at her. She grinned right back, then after a moment that seemed to last forever, pulled him into a soft, slow kiss. His eyes widened again before they fluttered shut and he allowed himself to fall prey to Katara's actions. After a moment, she pushed him onto his back, placing herself above him. He simply lay there and kissed back, comfortable for once in this vulnerable position. Even when Katara finally detached her lips from his, his eyes remained closed and his lips stayed slightly puckered. It took him a few seconds to process that the kiss had ended, and when he did, he sat up, rubbing his neck embarrassedly and blushing, but smiling all the same. Kissing Katara was one thing, he decided, but actually _being_ kissed by her was completely different…and so much more wonderful. Never before had he felt so loved or appreciated…perhaps he truly was meant to live now, one hundred and fourteen years after his birth. Suddenly feeling lightheaded (in a good way) he lay down again, and this time Katara joined him, reaching an arm over and laying it across his chest, grasping his hand, then placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you Aang." She sighed.

"I think I really do." He grinned.

"So, this means you won't be bringing new guys home for dinner every two weeks anymore?" he asked playfully. Katara rolled her eyes but was unable to help the giggle that escaped her.

"Of course not." Aang felt her squeeze his hand.

"I'm glad."


	16. The Life of an Avatar

A/N: So sorry guys! I don't know what kept me from updating. I just couldn't seem to focus! This isn't the best of chapters, but I just had to get something up. Don't worry though, in a way this is just stalling until I get off my butt and write the story that I'd intended to write before (TTAvatarfan knows what I'm talking about ;)) Oh, and kataangtokkamaiko: I'm not ignoring you ;). I'll try to fit your request in somewhere lol. I already have an idea for it.

Aang stumbled inside, practically falling into Katara's arms the minute the door was closed. He was so tired, and he just wanted to rest, though he knew he couldn't. No, even after his long, long day, he still had work to do. He blushed furiously, suddenly realizing that his head was resting against his girlfriend's bosom. He quickly pulled himself from her arms.

"Sorry." He apologized quickly.

"It's alright, I know you're tired. How about you get some sleep?"

"In a little. I just need to finish some things." He brushed past the waterbender and began to climb the stairs to his room, dreading the work that he knew awaited him.

Aang sighed, rubbing his temples as tears of frustration formed in his eyes. He constantly had so much to do now. There were meetings almost everyday that would last into the night sometimes, and he'd have to get up early in the mornings to fly Appa wherever they needed to be. And the worst part was, there didn't seem to be a break anywhere. There was never time anymore for being alone with Katara, no time to kiss or hug her, and there was no time to goof off or play with Momo and Appa. Even when Aang finally arrived wherever he was staying, he often had work to do. Which was what he was doing now. He was supposed to be writing a letter, to whom or what about he no longer remembered, he was exhausted. All he felt like doing was going home to the southern air temple and taking a long, long nap. But he was the avatar, and he couldn't, not guiltlessly anyways. Aang yawned, laying his head down on the wooden desk. It was so late…he didn't even have the energy to jump when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

"What are you still doing up?" Katara's voice sounded from behind him, and he tiredly turned to look at her as she began to massage his shoulders.

"Trying to write this…" he yawned.

"…letter…" He suddenly felt completely overwhelmed. The letter wasn't the only thing he had to finish. There were so many papers to look over and things to write about…and so many of them had to be finished so soon…Aang put his head down again, a tear coming to roll down his cheek. He felt spoiled and whiny for crying over something like paper, afterall, he had faced the firelord before, and there were others in the world that were surely suffering so much more than he. But he was just a kid…this wasn't the life he wanted. He now missed the days when Gyatso would tell him to get to bed at a certain time, and it was against the rules to be up so late.

"Go to sleep." Katara soothed.

"Look, you're so tired." She gestured towards the bags under his eyes.

"I can't, I have to finish all this."

"Tomorrow. I'll help you with it, and maybe Sokka will too. But right now," she took the brush he used for writing from his hand.

"You need to rest." Too tired to fight, Aang nodded, letting Katara help him from his chair. However, just as he began to leave, a bright red hawk flew in through the open window. A scroll was tied to its leg. Aang groaned as it flew towards him. Reluctantly, he untied the scroll, and the hawk flew away. He unrolled the thin paper and began to read it, the letters printed on the page sliding in and out of focus.

_Avatar Aang, _

_We request your presence on the new moon at the earth king's palace for a celebration. There are many who wish to see you, and I'm sure you are anxious to socialize with others of your status. Dress formally, you must look like the avatar you are._

_We expect to see you soon,_

_The Earth king and his court._

If he had hair, Aang was sure he'd be pulling it out now. He hated these parties. Not only did they often go late into the night, but everyone expected him to embrace his fame and act like a grown man. Not to mention the formality usually faded away rather quickly once the men started drinking. Aang moaned. Of course. When at these parties, he was expected to drink as well, not doing so was highly offensive, even if he was only a kid. In his opinion, the liquor tasted awful. It burned his throat, and did not sit well with his stomach, or any other part of his body for that matter. It made his head ache, blurred his vision, and made his legs feel like jello. The only parties he liked were the ones where he was allowed to bring Katara, the ones where it was easy to find an abandoned hallway and stay there for a while… Still beside him, Katara herself finished reading the letter as well.

"You're not going." She said firmly. Aang knelt on the floor at her feet, too tired to stand up any longer.

"But Katara…" he protested.

"I have to."

"Says who?"

"…Everybody. They're all expecting me to be there, I can't just ignore them, that would be rude." Katara's eyes suddenly looked like blue flames.

"Rude? Them calling you rude?! Come on Aang, do you seriously think these people are polite? Look at what they're doing to you! They're dumping so much of what should be their work on you, when you do go to these parties they expect you to stay up into the mornings and drink, then just get up the next day and work some more even if your not feeling well. You cannot worry about being _rude _to _them._" She spat out the word _them _as though it were poison. Though it was true that she felt sorry for Aang, a more selfish part of her was saying all of this because she wanted more time with him. A side that she was rather embarrassed to claim. Aang fought to keep himself from leaning against her legs.

"Being rude to them will only give them more reason for them to be rude to me." He pointed out sleepily.

"And? It's obvious that doesn't matter to them Aang. They're taking advantage of you because you always do what they ask, that's the problem. You have to say no sometimes." Aang rubbed his temples. He couldn't blame Katara for being upset, but the last thing he needed right now was the one he loved most yelling at him. Katara sighed, pulling him up by the wrist. She placed a hand on his cheek, face softening.

"I just want you to be comfortable. I love you okay? And I guess it sort of gets to me that all of these people want to see you for more time than you spend with me. I didn't mean to sound like I was angry with you. I just don't like seeing you so overworked." Aang nodded, rubbing an eye.

"'S'okay." he said tiredly. Katara smiled and brushed a light kiss over his lips.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." With her help, the boy stumbled into the next room, stripping his shirt and making a mental note to bathe the next morning. He groaned when he lay down on his bed. The soft mattress was such a wonderful contrast to the hard backed chair he'd been sitting in for the past few hours. He turned to look at Katara and opened his mouth to say goodnight, but the sound was muffled by Katara's lips over his. She kissed him deeply, nibbling affectionately on his bottom lip and then caressing his tongue with her own. He moaned, wishing he were awake enough to respond better. The girl placed several kisses on his neck before she finally pulled away, letting him breathe.

"There, _now _you rest. You've had a long day." Aang watched her as she began to leave. He rolled onto his back. Maybe, just maybe, the earth king's party could go on without him.


	17. Chapter 37

A/N: Yey, I updated in less than a month this time! I've only got one more day of school. I'm actually sad about that though, I'll miss all my friends. The concert my school won was AWESOME! My friend/crush got me an autographed picture of the band since he got to meet them, and it's my new most prized posession. Also, this might be my last update for like...6 weeks. On June 17, I'm going to Germany to see my grandparents and I'm not coming back till July 7. I'll try to update again before that, but I can't be sure if I will. I noticed a lot of requests for a flipping around of last chapter, so maybe I'll try to do that. But for now, I think I'll take a break from requests, I finally have some ideas of my own.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Aang tossed and turned, curled and uncurled, but no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to sleep. It was just one of those nights. He groaned and looked up at his ceiling, there was nothing bad happening anytime soon, nothing really stressful, so why couldn't he sleep? He lay there for a few minutes, pondering this before sighing with frustration and pulling himself from his bed. Before he could think of what to do, his legs were taking him to Katara's room. She slept with her door open, so he stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before asking

"Katara?" She stirred and groggily opened her eyes.

"Aang? What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Aang shook his head.

"I just couldn't sleep. Do you mind if…could I lay with you?" He requested shyly, blushing. Katara smiled.

"Sure." Aang thought he saw a hint of mischief glint in her eyes, but he ignored it and climbed into bed, back facing Katara. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, already he felt better.

He was about to fall asleep when he felt a pair of all too familiar lips on the back of his neck. Aang turned, but Katara's eyes were closed. Deciding that he'd been close to sleep and knowing that he often dreamed about Katara kissing him, he brushed it off as just the beginnings of a dream. That was until, he felt it again. He turned around, this time poking Katara gently in the arm.

"Katara…are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" The waterbender asked innocently. Aang lay back down, this time facing her. He was almost asleep when he heard a fit of giggles from the girl next to him. He opened his eyes, smirking.

"I knew it." He declared triumphantly.

"Sorry." Katara laughed.

"I couldn't help it." Without further warning she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a breathtaking kiss. Aang sighed against her lips, and she traced her tongue along them before delving into his mouth. She propped herself up so as to have better access to him and he copied her, groaning and massaging her tongue with his own. His arms found their way around her waist, one hand tangling in her long hair and the other rubbing the small of her back. She broke the contact suddenly and placed kisses down along the boy's jaw until she reached his ear, which she nipped affectionately.

"Katara…" He moaned her name, the hand on her waist tightening into a fist as she left his ear to kiss along his neck and collarbone.

"…Love you." She whispered between kisses and though the words were quick and slightly muffled, Aang knew that they were heartfelt. He pulled her back up to his mouth briefly before bending his head to her throat, mimicking her previous actions. She held the back of his head and gasped out his name, only encouraging him.

"Aang…" She murmured.

"Oh Aang…" He loved her so much, and he would do anything to make her happy with him.

"You're so beautiful…" He kissed the side of her neck and she blushed, though she'd done this before, Aang never ceased to have this effect on her. He was so charming, so kind and polite…surely there had never been anyone better than him in any way. He nuzzled her playfully and her heart swelled with love. Even though he acted often beyond his years, there was still that child in him that was just so lovable. She placed butterfly kisses over the fair skin of his face, his forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks…making sure that not one part of him was left out.

"My forever girl…" He murmured, sounding so adorable that Katara couldn't help but laugh. He was smiling that completely irresistible, loving smile that pulled her in every time.

"You are just too much." She giggled and his smile widened, taking it as a compliment.

"Better that I'm too much than too little." Katara laughed again.

"I wouldn't have you any other way." She kissed him again, nibbling gently at his lower lip before pushing him onto his back and massaging his bare torso. Her dark fingers skimmed over his pale chest as she moved her mouth on his, making him gasp her name into her mouth. Her lips moved again to his ear, her cheek pressing against his. He writhed beneath her, eyes glazing over. When had the room gotten so warm?

"K-katara…" He groaned. She was teasing him. He smirked and flipped their positions, effectively surprising the waterbender. Normally, he was the shyer one, which was understandable as he'd grown up in a rather sheltered environment.

Though, as he had with bending, Aang learned very quickly. His arrowed hands rubbed Katara's sides as his lips attached themselves to hers and she stoked the blue tattoo on his forehead, loving the taste of him, loving everything about him.

The way he kissed so passionately without being rough, the way he made her feel as though she were floating, the way he seemed to know so much but was still _so_ innocent and pure, the way his love for her shone so clearly and beautifully from his expressive gray eyes. He placed a final series of hot, open mouth kisses on her throat before nuzzling affectionately into her neck.

"I love you so much…" he breathed. She smiled and stroked the arrow on the back of his neck.

"I love you too." He blushed warmly and after a moment pulled his head away from her neck, instead facing her and getting as close as possible, wrapping an arm around her waist. She returned the simple hug, accepting and embracing Aang's seemingly insatiable desire to cuddle with her.

"Now I don't even _want _to sleep." He grinned, and Katara gave him a playful shove, unable to help a good natured smile. Aang laughed and the waterbender joined in, loving how…_free_ he could make her feel. When they quieted, Aang sighed.

"I want to stay with you forever…" He placed a kiss on the back of her hand, and despite the lighthearted atmosphere, he was obviously serious. Katara's heart fluttered. She kissed his forehead.

"Do you really mean that?" Aang looked at her, eyes bright with passion.

"Of course I do! If I didn't, we wouldn't be…together like this. If you love someone…you're supposed to be with them forever, right?" Katara sighed sadly, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Not everyone's like that. Sometimes…these things don't work out for people Aang, some people spend their whole lives looking for people and never find the right one." Aang looked at her, his eyes wide.

"But…but, that's not us is it? Don't you think we're the right ones for each other?" The words sounded sappy even to him, but he meant them wholeheartedly.

"I know we are, just…just forget I said that. It was dumb, there's no one else on this earth I want more than you." Aang grinned broadly as she kissed his cheek. She then went on.

"It's just that…in my life, most of the couples I've seen don't get happy endings. My mother and father, Sokka and Yue, Gran Gran…and after the men in our tribe left to fight, lots of the women went to the earth kingdom to find other men because they didn't want to wait…not that I'd ever do that to you of course." A deep frown had settled on the waterbender's face. Aang nodded.

"I understand, I guess it makes sense to be sort of unsure about relationships after seeing all that." A silence settled between them before the boy spoke again.

"So…are you alright with me…getting attached like this? I don't think I can help it but I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Katara traced his jawbone and gave a small smile.

"I'm not uncomfortable. I never could be around you." A chaste kiss on the lips.

"Let's just not worry about anything right now." She turned away from him to lie on the side she usually slept on, feeling his hands come around her waist and pull her back to his chest. She sighed as he buried his head into the back of her shoulder where her hair fell, obviously enjoying the close contact. In a way, he reminded her of a puppy at times, playful but affectionate, and attached to the person who he spent most time with. She placed her hands on top of his and turned, craning her neck to give him a last kiss on the head. She massaged the backs of his arrowed hands lovingly.

"I love you." She whispered. He sighed, his warm breath tickling the back of her neck.

"Ditto."


	18. Kataang Sentences

A/N: Back from Deutchland! Sorry I kept you guys waiting so long. And yes, I know I'm a looser for using these prompts _again, _I'm pretty sure you guys have seen them used a million times before, but I tell ya, they're great for writer's block. I think I did a pretty good job with some of them, but others are kind of bland, sorry. I tried to fix it, I did! Anyways, who's exited about the last of the avatar episodes next week?!

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

1: Comfort

Sokka always refused hugs or words of reassurance because they weren't 'manly', and told Aang that he should be that way too. But Aang didn't care, weather it was manly or not, Katara's touch and soothing words always stopped the tears, and he wasn't ready to give that up.

2: Kiss

"How do you kiss a girl, Katara?" He asked innocently one day. Katara looked at him, surprised.

"I don't know, I've never done it. But…" She took his face without warning into her hands and kissed him passionately. He looked ready to faint as she pulled away.

"I'm trying to learn how to kiss a boy. Maybe we could practice together?"

3: Soft

Everything about him was soft. His face, his eyes, his hands…but best of all his lips.

4: Pain

He coughed and blood splattered the ground. He was on his side, groaning and bleeding so heavily that it seemed all the blood in his body could be gone in less than a minute. Katara cried as she tried to heal him because it hurt her almost physically to see him in such agony.

5: Potatoes

"She looks like a potato." Sokka said flatly as Katara handed her and Aang's newborn daughter to him. The waterbender looked ready to knock him out, but Aang stepped in front of her and calmly took the baby back.

"But she's our potato. And I think she's beautiful." He smiled and kissed the infant's forehead. Katara knew then that their child could never ask for a better father.

6: Rain

His kisses were like rain, refreshing, soft, lingering, and sometimes just a bit wet, not that she minded.

7: Chocolate

Everyone said her skin and hair had the color and texture of chocolate. But to Aang, she was so much sweeter and more beautiful than that, and he told her so.

8: Happiness

The happiest moments of Aang's life all had something to do with Katara. When she first kissed him, or anytime she kissed him for that matter, when she agreed to marry him, when she told him she was expecting his child, and of course, when she gave birth to that child, and others. The saddest moment of his life was when she died in his arms, almost eighty years after their first meeting and he looked back on all of their happiest times together.

9: Swimming (replaces 'Telephone' I'm sorry, I just couldn't think of anything for that!)

"I can't." She looked down, embarrassed.

"Why not?" Aang asked innocently.

"It's really hot out, and you always swim with me." His face suddenly changed as she looked at him imploringly.

"Oh." It was then that he remembered she'd had the same problem at the same time last month.

10: Ears

"I love you." She nipped his ear affectionately, sending shivers down his spine. His ears were one of her favorite physical features about him, second only to his arrows and his eyes. Her mouth and tongue gently traveled along it until she reached the lobe which she nibbled lightly before returning to his lips. Aang, unlike when he'd met Meng, was very glad then that he had big ears.

11: Name

"Katara! Katara!" The waterbender woke to the sound of Aang screaming her name. When she found him, he was awake, sweating and panting. She took him automatically into her arms, thinking it had been another nightmare. He buried his head in her shoulder, and she rubbed his back. Only Toph knew that his dream had been quite the opposite of a nightmare and he was hiding his face not because he was scared, but because he was ashamed of himself. The earthbender couldn't help but laugh when Katara asked Aang to tell her about his 'nightmare'.

12: Sensual

He'd never imagined any touch could feel as agonizingly good as hers. He was embarrassed that he couldn't cover up how he felt about it, but she didn't seem to mind. She only smiled as he cried out and then captured his lips in a kiss.

13: Death

The thing Katara feared most was death. But not her own, no, nothing scared her more than the thought of Aang dying.

14: Sex

Being a monk, Aang was reserved in the field. So naturally, he felt quite disturbed when a young earth kingdom girl offered to be his concubine. But 'disturbed' was nowhere close to what Katara felt about this offer.

15: Touch (related to sensual)

Her touch was unlike anything else in the world. She became his very first on their wedding night and nothing had ever felt so wonderful. But Aang knew it only felt so good because he knew she enjoyed it too, and it felt even better to know that she was doing it because she loved him.

16: Weakness

Everyone in their little group had a weakness. Toph was blind when she wasn't on solid earth, Sokka was sometimes close minded, and Zuko was easily tempted. Aang and Katara's most prominent weaknesses were each other, but they were also one another's' strength.

17: Tears

"A-am I really childish Katara? D-do you think I'm immature? Am I a brat?"

"No Aang, of course not."

Aang had never seemed the type to Katara that would be affected by what the public thought of him. But she learned soon that she was wrong when the boy overheard two fire nation generals talking quite badly about him. She was the one to hold him that night as he cried himself to sleep.

18: Speed

Aang was almost a blur when he ran towards her, running so fast that when he hugged her, they both fell, laughing into the snow. Aang grinned sheepishly, then leaned down to kiss her passionately.

"I didn't know you could run that fast." Katara laughed when he pulled away.

19: Wind

The only complaint Katara had about living at the southern air temple was all the wind. It never seemed to stop, and whenever she went outside, her hair started to come out of its usual braid. But when Aang first took her flying with him on his glider, her opinion of the southern winds changed dramatically.

20: Freedom

Tears flowed like rivers from his eyes everyday he stayed in prison. He hated this cage, the torture, the cold. He wanted to be free. When Katara finally came for him, he cried again from sheer relief, and she cried too because she'd never seen anyone in such an awful state.

21: Life

He smoothed his hands over Katara's rapidly growing belly, marveling at the wonder of it all. There was a little life in there, kicking against his hands, a little life that he and Katara had made together. To him, it was the most miraculous thing in the world.

22: Jealousy

"Aang, what's the matter?" she asked as she came home to a frowning avatar. He looked away, an uncharacteristically bitter look in his eyes.

"That boy." He said shortly. Katara smiled softly and kissed him.

"There." She murmured.

"I still love you, does that make it better?" Her voice was only slightly teasing. Aang's eyes sparkled before he smirked and pulled her playfully onto the couch beside him, returning the kiss which Katara knew took the place of 'yes.'

23: Hands

The pain was overwhelming, so awful that he felt ready to die any second. Then suddenly, it stopped. A warm, soft hand caressed his cheek and Katara smiled down at him.

"You're going to be alright." He smiled too, leaning into the touch. It never ceased to amaze him how just something as simple as her hands could make everything better.

24: Taste

Katara knew that Aang was more than a little disappointed when no one wanted to try the traditional air nomad food he'd made, so after the party she sat with him, and together, they ate the untouched food. But while it was delicious, the taste of Aang's lips against hers in a thank you was even better.

25: Devotion

Sokka often teased Aang about being more like a pet coyote dog than a boyfriend to Katara. He always did as she asked, always showed his love for her in even the simplest of his actions and could almost never be seen without her.

26: Forever

"We'll be together forever, right?" Aang asked one night. He lay comfortably on the grassy slope, his head resting in Katara's lap as she gently stroked his arrow. She smiled.

"Of course."

27: Blood

He was badly hemorrhaging when she found him in the firelord's throne room, sitting against a wall and struggling for breath. The sight made her stomach turn, and though she healed him, the sight of blood reminded her from then on of those awful moments when she'd thought he might not make it.

28: Sickness

At night he tossed and turned and groaned and sweated. In the day he lay still in bed, pale and panting. And around the clock, Katara was with him, doing everything in her power to try to keep him comfortable and make him better. When he was too weak to feed himself, she would lift the spoon to his cracked lips, when he couldn't sleep, she would sing to him, and when he felt really awful she would hug and kiss him and wipe his face with a cool cloth. He couldn't ask for a better caretaker.

29: Melody (related to sickness)

Before last week, he'd never heard Katara sing. But as he found, she had a beautiful voice. It took him out of his misery and into a happy place, and eventually into a peaceful sleep. He always slept better after she sang to him.

30: Star

When Aang was happy, his eyes reminded her of stars. They sparkled and shone, and they were absolutely beautiful to her. She loved to just stare into them. But unlike the stars, Aang's eyes never seemed far away when he was with her.

31: Home

He didn't care that he would get 'better care' here. He didn't care that his sickness needed professional treatment, and he didn't care that his recovery would be speedier here. He didn't want to stay in this cold stone building where Katara wasn't allowed to visit him. He just wanted to go home where she was the only nurse.

32: Confusion (related to 'name')

Katara for once, didn't understand what was going on with Aang. He was almost always ready to tell her about his dreams, and yet no matter how much she pressed now, he wouldn't talk to her. What was even more confusing was that he didn't seem upset at all after the nightmares, she was sure they were nightmares. Why else would he be screaming her name in his sleep?

33. Fear

Aang was afraid, contrary to popular belief, of many things. Facing the firelord, having nightmares, fighting Azula…and he could talk to Katara about all of these fears, except one. No, no one could ever know that one. Aang, the avatar, master of all four elements and animal lover, was scared to death of giant cricket spiders.

34: Lightning/Thunder

Aang was almost beginning to like thunderstorms. Originally, they had genuinely upset him and scared him because of them because of what had happened on that fateful night. So every time the dark clouds rolled in, Katara let him sleep in her bed or sleeping bag, and would hold him close to her, murmuring soothing things into his ear. Soon, Aang found that these good things far outweighed the discomfort the storms brought and took the time more to enjoy being close to Katara than to seek comfort from his fears. But Katara didn't know that of course.

35: Bonds

Aang bonded with things easily, almost too easily, Katara noticed sometimes with sadness. It was always hard for him to see things or people he'd become familiar with go, especially when Momo died. He barely talked for two straight weeks, only spent time alone in his room. It was then that Katara wished he wouldn't get so attached to things. However, that wish changed when he married her and she knew he would always love her as much as he did the day he proposed.

36: Market

It had started because of Sokka's demand that they both get new underclothes because theirs were too small and tight. So here Aang was, standing outside the changing stall and burning in the heat as he waited for Katara to come out in each of her potential new sets of underclothes in turn. Why did girls always take so long with this? Why did he have to come along with her? Aang almost fell over backwards when the door to the stall opened. A better question was, why did she have to pick out _those _underclothes to try on?

37: Technology

BANG!

"AGH!"

"Aang!" It had all happened in a blur, and then the fire nation soldiers were gone. Aang was bleeding heavily from a surprisingly small wound that lay just beneath his heart and Katara gasped when Toph bended out a small metal ball that had made the penetration. The fire nation had a new, and even more deadly weapon.

38. Gift

"Please, no gifts." The invitation to the avatar's wedding read. It had been Aang's idea, as he hated to inconvenience people with such things. Katara found it ironic that it was that same day that she got the best gift of her life so far, Aang's vow to stay with her forever.

39: Smile

She was five months old and already knew how to smile. Aang found everything about his daughter remarkable, just the fact that she existed to him was amazing. That he and Katara had made her together and brought a new life into the world. He smiled back a goofy smile that made the tiny girl giggle. He laughed as well and held her in his arms, these had to be the best years of his life.

40: Innocence

As Aang was raised a monk, Katara expected him to ask her awkward questions about puberty and when they started their relationship, didn't expect him to know how to kiss without his mouth closed. She braced herself everyday after he turned thirteen for the questions but they never came. What she didn't expect though, did happen. After his small party, Aang kissed her in a way that should have been illegal had they been in public. Aang wasn't as innocent as she'd thought.

41: Completion

It wasn't until she realized that she was in love with Aang that she also realized that all of her previous life, half of her had been missing.

42: Clouds

Aang chose a very unique way of telling Katara his feelings. Numerous times, he'd tried but failed to tell her verbally, something always got in the way. But now, there was no way she could possibly miss it for he'd written it in the clouds.

"Katara, I love you – Aang"

43: Sky (related to clouds)

Their first _real_ kiss as Aang liked to think of it, was in the sky. Katara as was planned saw his message and flew Appa up to meet him…and his lips. She leaned over and kissed him so passionately that he lost control of his glider and fell across her lap, grinning sheepishly. Katara laughed and smiled fondly, helping him sit up to receive a second kiss.

44: Heaven

Heaven to Aang was a world where he could be with Katara forever and constantly without having to worry about any job as the avatar. He told Katara this when she asked him what he thought about the subject and when he asked the same question, he got the very same answer.

45: Hell

"Aang? Do you think hell is anywhere on earth?" Katara asked thoughtfully one afternoon. Aang nodded.

"Hell is earth if you weren't here."

46: Sun

"Hey guys, listen to this. This one science guy in Ba Sing Se says the earth revolves around the sun." Sokka announced one morning when he came back from the market.

"Oh! It's like me and Katara!" Aang blurted out without thinking. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Aang, realizing what he'd just said, blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, my life sorta revolves around her, so it works like that right? Hehe." Sokka slapped his forehead.

"No Aang, it doesn't." He moved to exit the room but turned.

"And for your sake buddy, I really hope you can think up some better pick up lines."

47: Moon

Before they met Hama, Katara loved waterbending on the full moon. However, after that the full moon went from her favorite time of the month to the time when she was plagued with nightmares. But not because of the fact that she'd bloodbended. No, the full moon haunted her because it was the night she'd nearly had to watch Aang be stabbed in the heart.

48: Waves

Maybe _they_ were more like Katara. Aang thought to himself, the sun analogy hadn't worked so well afterall. But maybe waves did. When the sea was calm, they were gentle and soothing, and the sound they made to Aang anyways, was comforting. But in a storm, they were unpredictable and violent, and could kill. Aang shook his head. Katara would never be as unmerciful as the waves in a storm. There was truly nothing, he decided, that was comparable to her.

49: Hair

He'd always longed to be able to touch her hair. It always looked so soft and when she hugged him it smelled so sweet. At one point, Katara noticed this, probably because he was staring as she was brushing her hair. She offered the brush to him.

"Do you want to try?" Aang swallowed. He did. Taking the brush into fumbling hands, he combed it through Katara's brown locks, smiling faintly, a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"I give up." Sokka announced.

"You'll never be a real man, Aang." Aang couldn't have cared less.

50: Supernova

"Really, Katara?" Aang asked wide eyed after she told him about the newly discovered science of 'black holes'. It was a fascinating, but rather frightening subject. Katara nodded.

"That's what they say." Aang closed his eyes.

"Wow, I sure hope that never happens around here. Then I would never see you again…ever." He swallowed. He didn't want to think about that anymore. Then, a mischievous smile came over his lips.

"You said they could happen at any time though right? Can I kiss you, just in case one happens right now?" Katara laughed and began to lean in.

"Of course, just in case."


	19. So sorry!

...Hey guys. I know you're all probably ready to eat me by now for like, completely abandoning everything, and I'm really sorry, I feel like a total jerk. Anyways, I just thought I should tell you guys my avatar interest sort of...died. I dunno, it was really wierd. One day I was reading on here like crazy and then the next Avatar barely meant anything and all I could think of was Martin Johnson (lead singer of Boys Like Girls). The wierdest part is that this happened midway through the last week of avatar, just when the new episodes were coming out. Unfortunately, I think it's pretty safe to say that I don't think I'll be writing avatar anymore. I did watch the finale, and I have to say I was happy with the ending. BUT: I am writing other things. I have a fictionpress account and am writing a story that I'll try and post there. Yes, it is romance :). If you're interested, PM me and I'll give you a link once it's up. Once again, I'm REALLY SORRY. You guys have been so supportive and I think your critisism really helped me improve my writing. It's really been great on here. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I can't believe I got past 300 reviews.

TTFN, Kataangirl.


	20. AN part 2

Aw, you guys! Once again, I'm really, really sorry :(. But since so many people asked, I guess I'll do just one more ;). It's the least I can do for you, you've done so much for me and I'm really flattered that you feel this way about my stuff. I started writing a finale one shot back in July, so I guess I'll try to finish that up and post it on here. It might take a while, but I promise I'll do it. Summersweetheart: I PMd that one chap to you ;). Hugz for everyone


	21. Big Brother

**A/N: I'm so, so, sorry everyone. I know most of my old reviewers probably won't even see this because they've either moved on from Avatar, changed their emails, taken me off of their alert list or whatever. I just got completely disenchanted with Avatar after the finale and sort of forgot about everything, even my promise to finish this thing, which I'm really ashamed of because I take my promises seriously. But recently, I heard about the new miniseries (legend of Korra) and suddenly got extremely nostalgic and have been writing up a storm. This is one of the things that came of it. I think I'll be writing more now, so it's probably safe to say this story is back for now ^^. This isn't as as kataangy as usual, but I still kind of liked it. I may have become a slightly better writer over my hiatus though, I'm editor in chief of my school's literary magazine & I took a creative writing class, so I hope it shows :). Sorry again, and if you do see this, thanks for having some faith in me.**

**Because I don't think we (especially kataang shippers) give Sokka enough credit. He always ends up wanting to kill Aang over Katara, but I ****don't think that's entirely realistic or fair, so I switched it up. **

Aang breathed in deeply and let it out. He'd already meditated this morning, but this was rather nervewracking. He was going to talk to Sokka. He'd decided that it would be better to talk to him personally like this than to just make a general announcement, especially since the older boy's approval mattered a great deal to him. The door opened and Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"What's up, Aang?" He asked quizically. Normally the avatar would talk to Katara if he wanted to discuss something. This was unusual.

"Could you shut the door?" Aang asked nervously. Now Sokka was curious. He nodded, letting his friend into his room and closing the door.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Well, you see...um, Katara and I are well...together." Aang couldn't help but grin despite his nervousness. It just sounded so wonderful said aloud. To his surprise, Sokka laughed loudly.

"Well duh, I think everyone in the earth kingdom knows that!" He excalimed. Aang blushed.

"Oh, um...is it that obvious?"

"Oh yeah. I mean, you've only been in love with each other since forever. But, thanks for telling me officially anyways." He smiled good naturedly. Aang shook his head. This wasn't what he'd been expecting at all.

"You mean you're okay with it?" He asked. Sokka's face took on a more serious expression at this.

"Of course I am. Yeah, Katara's my sister, but you're kind of like a little brother at this point. I can't run around after her trying to protect her my whole life, you know? Besides, I trust you. You're always looking out for her...literally." His tone flattened at he last word, and Aang rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.

"Hehe, yeah. I'm just surprised. In the beginning, I didn't think you wanted me anywhere near Katara. I always got the feeling that you didn't really like me, and that's part of the reason why I cozied up to her so much at first."

"Have a seat, Aang." Sokka patted a spot beside him on the bed, and Aang sat, genuinely interested in what the warrior had to say. His moments of seriousness were rare.

"I guess I haven't told you a lot about myself, have I?" He asked. Aang shook his head. Come to think of it, he hadn't.

"No. Not really."

"Well, I guess it's time I did. You know about the fire nation raiding our tribe..." Aang nodded guiltily.

"The way I act sometimes...it's a guy thing I guess, you'd understand. Anyways, after the fire nation attacked and killed our mom, Dad went off to fight. I wanted to come with him. You know, avenge my family and everything. I always looked up to my dad. He's strong, brave, I wanted to be just like him. But I was too young, and he told me to stay home and protect Katara." His eyes met Aang's for a moment and he smiled nostalgically.

"Of course, I wanted to do that as best I could. I always felt like it was the only way I could really prove myself to anyone. I wanted Katara to look up to me like I looked up to dad, and more than anything, I wanted to make him proud. But Katara got better at waterbending every day and I really didn't have any chances to become a better warrior, so I always sort of felt second to her in a way, which I guess sort of hurt my pride a little. You've probably seen it. I laughed it off a lot, but for a while, I kind of felt like a failure for not even being able to stop her when she tried doing something dangerous. " He sighed.

"And then we found you. I never really thought you were dangerous, but you were definitely a huge change to Katara's life, and my dad had warned me about keeping her safe at home, and to me, that meant keeping her away from things that seemed new and strange. Anyways, we all know how that went. But then, I noticed Katara was pretty much fascinated with you. She looked up to you as her hero, not me, and she seemed happier with you than I'd ever been able to make her. And you were always more powerful, always protecting her and saving her better than I ever had, while letting her have more fun, which she always bugged me about before."

"Oh." Aang hung his head in guilt. He hadn't even given Sokka's feelings on the whole matter any thought when this whole thing had started. He hadn't known how much he'd truly affected the dynamics of their family.

"It was a jealousy deal more than anything." The warrior admitted.

"The one thing I was supposed to do, you were doing better than me, plus you were only a kid and it just didn't feel fair. But eventually, I realized that it was pretty hard to blame any of it on you, and it was a pretty big deal to be helping you save the world. I was finally fighting like my dad and even if I couldn't always protect Katara directly, I was still keeping her safe because she was with you." He finished with his mouth slightly upturned in a smile that Aang returned.

"I'm sorry I barged in like that, Sokka." he apologized.

"If it helps, I did think you were kind of intimidating at first. Not in the way that I was afraid you'd kill me or anything, but I just felt like I shouldn't be on your bad side." Sokka chuckled.

"Thanks. But I do trust you. I know I don't always have the best ideas and you bender guys kind of run the show, but I do have a pretty good idea of whose trustworthy and who isn't, if you remember that whole Jet incident." Aang grimaced.

"Oh yeah." He always felt like smacking himself in the head when he remembered that.

"And...you always running around making Katara necklaces, saving her from firebenders, standing between her and danger just sort of gave me the idea that you weren't such a bad guy. I really do want the best for you two. You have my blessing and all that for when you decide to get married." Aang blushed, but then embraced his friend.

"Thanks, Sokka." He said sincerely. Sokka patted the airbender on the back and pulled away.

"Don't get too attached there." He joked. Aang rolled his eyes.

"It was a manly hug." He insisted.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just go give Katara the rest of your love." Even though Sokka's voice held its usual sarcastic tone again, Aang felt a new sense of grattitude towards the older boy as he left the room.


	22. The Proposal

**A/N: I don't think this is my best piece of work, but I don't think I've done this yet. I have a good idea for the next chapter though ^^. Summer Sweetheart and other reviewers from the past that actually bothered to read, thank you so, so much. It means a lot to me that people actually remember after all my time away (which I am again, very sorry about). Anyways though, on with the chappie!**

* * *

Katara waited. And waited. And waited. And Aang wasn't here yet. He'd promised to meet her at least an hour ago, and here she was, still all alone. Well, almost.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing all by yourself?" A boy Sokka's age sat on the stool next to hers. She'd been told to meet her boyfriend outside the cafe, but it had gotten cold after a bit and she'd decided to wait inside. Though now, she wished she'd just gone home.

"Waiting for my boyfriend." She answered shortly.

"Oh. I don't know about him, but he seems like kind of a jerk since you've been here for a while and he hasn't come. But don't worry, I can keep you company." Katara finally allowed him a few seconds of eye contact, sending him an annoyed glare. She was glad that the southern water tribe had been rebuilt and was being repopulated, but these were the types of people she hadn't missed.

"Don't worry, he'll be here soon." She answered indifferently. _At least I hope so._She thought. _Hurry up, Aang._ Even though now, she was beyond annoyed with him for being this late, anything was better than this.

"I dunno about that. This really isn't a nice place for someone to just leave their girlfriend." The boy's voice, Katara noted with further irritation, had picked up a tone of hopefulness and his breath stank of liquor.

"I'd appreciate it." She said slowly, trying to keep her temper in check.

"If you'd leave me alone." She did not perceive the boy as a threat. She was a master water bender was tempted to show him so.

"Ouch." He drawled.

"Come on, I think you just need a friend." He reached out to wrap an arm around her waist, but just as she uncapped her canteen to summon a water whip to swat him with, she was interrupted.

"Excuse me, I'll take my girlfriend now." Aang stood before them, and Katara's annoyance was temporarily squashed by relief.

"The Avatar!" The drunken boy exclaimed and Katara rolled her eyes as Aang pulled her off the stool by the hand and led her outside. Katara's relief was once again dominated by annoyance the moment they were alone.

"You're a whole hour late, _Aang._" She glared at him.

"You promised me last time this happened it wouldn't happen again, and then there you go. I know you're the avatar, but don't make promises if you don't think you'll be able to keep them." She lectured sternly. Aang seemed surprisingly unaffected by her words. Normally, he would apologize profusely and give her big, irresistible puppy dog eyes. But now. he merely pulled her eagerly along by the hand, though Katara had no idea where he was taking her. He merely looked back at her and smiled that heartwarmingly big smile full of love and adoration. But even that couldn't fix the way Katara felt now.

"Are you listening to me at all?" She raised her voice, causing him to look serious for just a moment.

"Yeah, of course I am." He said absentmindedly.

"No you're not! I can tell! I don't want to be mean or anything Aang, but this is only fair. You always tell me you'll be there at a certain time and then you don't show up till later. You left me in the cold and I had to go inside and talk to that creepy guy who wouldn't leave me alone. I could've just stayed at home, but you-"

"Shh." Aang put a finger to her lips, making her all the more furious. She was about to explode on him, they were now a safe distance from the main street of the southern water tribe; but he stopped her.

"You can yell at me in a few minutes, I promise. But will you just listen for a little bit?" He requested. Katara's first instinct was to say no, but there had been times before where just hearing Aang out changed everything. So she bit her tongue and nodded.

"Fine."

"Do you recognize this place?" He asked. Katara looked at him, quite puzzled now.

"We're in the southern water tribe. This is my home." She pointed out, stating the obvious.

"I know, I know." Aang affirmed, clearly that was not what he had been suggesting.

"But, I mean, this specific spot." He clarified.

"Ummm..." Katara thought for a moment. In truth, outside of the blossoming city, the icy outskirts of the southern water tribe looked mostly the same. But there had to be something significant that Aang wanted her to remember.

"Wait..." She started.

"Is this where I found you?" Aang nodded, eyes shining at her in the dark. For a moment, she forgot her irritation, feeling a wave of nostalgia rock through her. This was where it had all begun, the spot that had changed her life in a way she wouldn't have dared to believe before it happened.

"Katara..." He knelt down in the snow, taking her hand and looking her in the eyes. _Is he...?_ Katara didn't have time to finish the thought, for Aang began to speak.

"You were the first person I saw after a hundred years of being frozen here, but even if you weren't, I would still have thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. You have no idea how wonderful it felt to wake up in your arms and instantly feel cared for. I think I had a crush on you within an hour of meeting you." Katara laughed quietly, and Aang smiled warmly at her before continuing.

"You've done so much for me over the years. Left home to travel the world with me even though I'd only known you for a day, taught me waterbending, supported me when I was weak, even saved my life. I owe you everything I have and I love you with all my heart and soul. I know this is a lot to ask, especially since I need to balance my personal life with my duties as the avatar, but, my dearest Katara, will you marry me?" Katara had never looked more radiant than she did that moment as he pulled from his pocket a beautiful betrothal necklace that he had clearly made himself. She beamed.

"Yes." She said shakily, barely able to contain her joy. Before she could even unfasten her mother's necklace however, Aang had swept her into his arms. He spun her around in celebration, feeling lighter than he had even after Ozai's defeat as she shrieked with delighted laughter, swinging her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately before placing smaller pecks all across his face and forehead which he returned with enthusiasm.

"You're finally mine." He sighed blissfully.

"You have _no_ idea how long I've wanted this." Katara smiled as he set her back on her feet, tracing the arrows on the back of his hands with her thumbs.

"And you're mine." She answered, all previous annoyance forgotten.

"I'm sorry I was late, though." He apologized, looking rather ashamed.

"I do have to focus on my duties as the avatar, but I should know when I'll be busy so I don't keep you waiting like that. I'll try my best to stop that." He said sincerely.

"Thanks." Katara answered, still glowing even as she removed her mother's necklace, allowing Aang to tie the new one around her neck.  
"I was thinking…" He said, running his fingers through her hair.

"You don't need to wear it if you'd rather wear your mom's. I'd understand and all."

"No, no. I want to wear yours. You both mean the world to me, but this is a new phase in my life and you worked so hard on this. Mom would want me to be proud of my husband." She smiled, pocketing the old necklace and hesitating slightly before speaking again.

"Actually, it's a good thing you asked when you did." She admitted. Aang looked puzzled.

"Why?"  
"I was about to ask you, just, to talk about it I mean. I was starting to think the reason you hadn't done it yet was because you were afraid I was gonna say no or something. Besides, I was getting impatient, I've wanted to marry you for a while now." Aang laughed, taking her by the hand to lead her back to town.

"Really? How long were you waiting?" he inquired curiously.

"Do you remember that day I kissed you at Iroh's tea shop right after the war ended?" Aang beamed.

"How could I not?"


	23. Watching You

**A/N: This is a fluffy one :). Also, missdiamondpearly requested an older Kataang angst fic, so that might be the next one or the one after, cuz right now I have two ideas I'd like to right. Anyways, that's about it.

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Even though she only rarely had doubts about Aang's safety, Katara still loved to watch him sleep, now more than ever. Now, she didn't have to worry that he might not wake up again, or that he would be in pain if he did. He still had nightmares sometimes, they both did, but most dreams seemed to be peaceful and pleasant, as he deserved after everything he'd had to bear at such a young age. He still slept, most of the time, curled on his side, lips often slightly parted, side moving gently up and down with each breath he took. In the summer, he wore no shirt to bed.

"Katara…" He mumbled, prompting the girl before him to smile. She loved the way he said her name. It was so wistful, so sincere and trusting and loving.

" 'Tara." His brow furrowed momentarily and Katara poised herself to shake his shoulder, thinking that his pleasant dream might be turning into something more sinister. But his face relaxed the moment her hand was a centimeter away from his face. Katara smiled, sitting back again. Aang's slumber only lasted for another moment however, and when he woke, the first thing he heard was

"Hi, Aang." He jumped slightly in surprise.

"Oh! Um, hi Katara, what are you doing here?" His cheeks warmed upon recalling his dream, how long had she been there anyways? Katara laughed.

"Oh nothing…I just heard my name and decided to come in." She teased. She loved Aang, but it was also rather endearing to see him so flustered.

"Your…aw man…um, yeah, I-" he had sat up now and was rubbing the back of his neck the way he always did when he felt uncomfortable. Katara smiled and climbed into the bed next to him, kissing his cheek.

"I love you." She stated simply. Aang grinned, still blushing but looking much more pleased.

"I love you too." They sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again.  
"Wait…I was dreaming about you for hours. How long were you in here anyways?" He asked.

"Oh, um, not long, you know? I…" Aang grinned mischievously.

"Uh huh, sure." He nodded sarcastically, poking his girlfriend playfully in the arm before he began to wind a lock of her long hair around his finger. Though he often let Katara win the 'who can embarrass the other the most' game, it was fun to come out on top sometimes. And now he felt perfectly justified.

"I'll bet you came in because it's just too hard for you to resist me, even when I'm asleep." He said playfully, though his eyes still shone with adoration for her. Katara had begun to play uncomfortably with her hair, and though her skin hid her blush better than Aang's, a sangria hue was still visible on her cheeks. To her surprise though, she didn't try to come back.

"Actually, yeah…" She confessed, averting her eyes. _Wait, what?_ On one hand, Aang felt more triumphant than ever, and on the other, he felt truly touched. He knew that Katara cared for him, but he never assumed that she actually sat just to watch him the way he did her. He felt a surge of affection for the girl next to him, suddenly feeling the deep connection they shared in a way that was only this intense when they shared their deepest secrets with each other.

"Really?" The idea that it was possible for her to be as crazy about him as he was her still shocked him sometimes.

"Yeah. I mean…ever since that time in Ba Sing Se when I almost lost you, I guess I just appreciated you a lot. More than I appreciate anything else. I'm not afraid of losing you anymore, but I still just like to see that you're safe and happy. And…you're right, I can't resist you." She finished with a playful smile, knowing perfectly well that the last part would give Aang's ego a boost. The good thing about Aang though, was that with confidence, he only got more charming, never vain or egotistical. So she didn't mind showering him with compliments and every term of endearment she could think of. Not surprisingly, he was beaming as he hugged her tightly.

"That's good, because I can't resist you either." He kissed her, his sweet lips capturing hers just briefly before holding her at arms length again. _Perfect._ He thought. _She's perfect._ He'd never believed anything so strongly in his life.

"And you know, that makes me feel a lot better. Before, I always thought you'd think I was weird if you knew how much time I spent staring at you." He admitted, feeling that he at least owed her something for her confession. She only smiled at him.

"I had some idea. I just didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think I minded." She lay down, Aang following.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You weren't the only one with a crush, silly." She laced her fingers with his, her thumb sweeping briefly over the arrow tattooed on the back of his palm. Aang blushed pleasantly.

"Oh." He answered simply.

"So…when I practiced earth and firebending with Toph and Zuko…you weren't there to make sure I didn't get hurt?"

"Well…I was partly. But the rest was just well, you know. I liked watching you." She said shyly. Aang surprised her slightly by kissing her cheek in that sweet way of his, skimming his fingers reverently over her neck afterwards.

"Have I ever told you how happy you make me?" He inquired earnestly.

"You might have mentioned it." Katara shrugged, though her gaze shone with boundless affection for the boy beside her. She took his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm and then spreading her lips over each of his fingers, kissing each of them.

"I'll never leave you." She sighed.

"Katara…you don't have to make promises like that." Aang said seriously, though the words may have been the most heartwarming he'd ever heard.

"I don't, but I want to. I believe it, Aang. You're…perfect. I can't see myself with anyone else, ever." Her tone matched Aang's in seriousness, and he gathered her in his arms, breathing her in, wanting to just be able to hold her and be held by her and touch her forever.

"I love you so much." He breathed.

"Please, don't ever leave." Katara smiled against his shoulder.

"I won't. I promise I won't."


	24. Hair

**A/N: This idea struck me late last night as I was trying to fall asleep. Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep because I was too excited about the new Yellowcard song! Yellowcard has been one of my fav bands for a long time and I was very happy to find out they got back together a couple months back and even more happy to hear new music. Actually, the time they went on hiatus was about the same time I did, I used to listen to them a lot while writing these things. ANYWAYS. I actually really enjoyed writing this one and currently feel very inspired. School is closed today because of icy rain, so I plan on doing more. Enjoy!

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Katara looked in the mirror on the far wall across from the bed where she and Aang sat, her legs dangling off the edge and he sitting cross legged behind her, braiding and unbraiding, stroking, twirling, feeling her hair. He did this in private often, when they had nothing else to do. Lately though, the rest of the world's ideas on hair seemed to be changing. Girls in all three nations had begun to cut their hair short, some only as short as Toph's, but many others, much, much shorter. It did show their faces better, and Katara could only imagine how much time it saved in washing, brushing, and everything else. She, however had not yet cut her hair. She'd been growing it since she had been nine years old and felt rather reluctant to simply chop it all off. Then again, perhaps it would look better. Perhaps Aang would notice her face more, and perhaps it would be somewhat liberating to not have to spend at least half an hour on maintaining it every day. Perhaps she wouldn't stick out in the crowd so much like she already did with the striking contrast between her skin and eyes. She wasn't normally one to care about what other girls did in terms of fashion, but when she stuck out so much, it did make her question herself a bit. She had at least considered the change.

"Aang?" She asked unsurely.

"Yeah?" His hands were still twined in her silky strands of hair.

"I've been thinking…about cutting my hair short. Do you think I should?" Aang instantly released his handful of locks, and as she turned towards him, he looked as though she had just told him Appa was dead.

"W-what?" He asked, horrified.

"Why would you do that?" Katara couldn't help but laugh, slightly relieved.

"Well, look around. Everyone's doing it, and I sort of stick out. Not to mention it would be so much easier to handle. Taking care of it does take up a lot of my time, you know? Maybe I should try something new. Besides, everyone says long hair hides a girl's face." Aang did not look at all placated; rather, he only looked more panicked.

"No!" was the first thing that came out of his mouth, but then, he shook his head and apologized quickly. He didn't want to sound selfish, it was _her_ hair after all.

"I mean…I love your hair this way. If you stick out, it's only because you're more beautiful. It doesn't matter what everyone else looks like as long as you're happy with the way you look. I mean, if you really think it would make you happier to cut it, go ahead, but…don't you like your hair?" He asked her. She glanced in the mirror again and smiled slightly when she saw Aang's reflection beside her, blushing when he reached out to reverently touch her hair. Her smile only grew as she caught his eye in the mirror, and saw the clear fondness on his features and suddenly, she felt rather silly. How could she possibly have wanted to cut her hair when it got such a loving, spellbound reaction from the one she cherished most? What did it matter if the other girls were cutting their hair short when she was the one with the most gentle, loving, incredible boy in the world longing to run his fingers through hers?

"I do." She answered, turning to look back at Aang more directly. He too, seemed relieved.

"I'm glad." He grinned.

"But, it's still a lot of work." She grinned slyly and scooted closer to him.  
"Katara…" He said seriously.

"If that's all, I'll do all the work for you. If you show me how, I'll wash it every other day and brush it and braid it, and do whatever else you want to be done with it. I promise." Katara only shook her head and kissed his cheek.

"I'm kidding. You don't need to do all that. So long as you like it this way, that's how I'll keep it. It makes me happy to be able to share something with you that you like." She said, taking his hands. It was true. Despite the fact that he was the most pure, selfless person she'd ever met, Aang more often than not had to sacrifice even the smallest of his personal desires for others, and so she tried to fulfill as many of them as she possibly could, loving him with all she had. He grinned broadly and kissed her softly on the lips, stealing her breath for what felt like the millionth time. His kisses were a perfect representation of him; sweet, loving, gentle and she could never have too many.

"By the way." He murmured, tucking her hair behind her ears and smiling into her eyes before he kissed her again.

"As long as you let me this close, I can see your face just fine."


	25. Almost

**A/N: PLEASE READ IT'S IMPORTANT (well, at least the first part) Okay, so a couple of things. One, I wrote something over the weekend in which Aang and Katara go back to the Southern Air Temple after the war and he confronts his past. But then I realized I sort of did something similar in my "The Southern Air Temple" chapter. Only, I like this new thing much, much better. I don't like the way I wrote Aang in the Southern Air Temple chapter and this is definitely a step up. But at the same time, I don't know if you guys would enjoy reading it when I already have something sort of addressing that topic. It's not the exact same thing though. More stuff happens. Anyways, since I can't decide, I'm going to let you guys choose :). Would you like**** me to post it or not? Let me know in a review ^^. Also, I realized while I was looking through these that I sorta make it seem like Aang and Katara are nocturnal or something. I don't know why I always write them at night, but I might try and switch it up sometime :/. Lastly, this chapter was me sort of trying to challenge myself to go back to pre-finale times. I've realized it's much easier to write older kataang or together kataang now that we know they're together in the end and have a kid and all. But as we all know, that's not the only important part of their relationship, so I wrote this. Whew, that was long. Anyways: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

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Aang could not sleep for the life of him. He had kissed Katara. Actually _kissed _her, and it had been everything he'd dreamed it would be. Only…nothing more had come of it. He wondered if she was still upset over his poorly thought out comment. _Oh yeah, I definitely wouldn't wanna kiss you._ Followed by _What? I'm saying I would rather kiss you than die! That's a compliment! _Though it had turned out more than alright in the end, he couldn't help but cringe whenever that moment replayed itself in his mind, which it had been doing all day. What was contributing most to his inability to sleep though, was the fact that he had no idea what Katara thought about any of it. Had she enjoyed the kiss? Had she only done it because she was afraid of being trapped forever? Had she been yearning for it as long as he had? Aang had _no _answers, and it was driving absolutely out of his mind. _She suggested it. _The optimistic part of his mind told him triumphantly. _Yeah, but then she got really mad. And she called it a crazy idea and laughed at it._ Said the more pessimistic half, the same half that always told him he was a failure and a coward. _But she still did it. And then she hugged you. _With a slight growl of frustration, Aang sat up. He didn't know what Katara thought, but he knew for sure that he wouldn't sleep until he had _some _answers. He had to talk to her. He planned on telling her his feelings someday, when the time felt right. And when better than now, when she had been the one to initiate the whole thing? Besides, he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hold it in. His chest ached every time she looked at him and all he felt like doing was collapsing at her feet when she came near. In nervous excitement, he stood and crept quietly to where Katara lay on the other side of the fire.

"Katara?" He whispered her name, surprised when she turned her head towards him, eyes wide open. It was clear that she hadn't been sleeping either. His heart fluttered with hope. Maybe, he thought, just maybe she'd been thinking the same things he had.

"Hey, Aang." She answered, her eyes darting around his face, not settling on his eyes. Her cheeks darkened slightly.

"Can't you sleep?"

"No, not really…actually. I was wondering if, if we could talk, like, a little ways away from here." Aang gulped. Suddenly, this felt much more real. He was finally going to actually tell her, after months of fantasizing and crushing and wishing and hoping, he would finally get an answer. He only hoped it wouldn't be one of denial.

"Sure." Katara actually smiled and Aang felt dizzy as he stood up. They didn't go far, only a little ways into the woods so that Sokka wouldn't wake if he heard them talking.

"What's up?" She asked when Aang stopped walking. He took a deep breath, sitting cross legged on the moss beneath them.

"I just wanted to talk about today." He began, rubbing the back of his neck and feeling an all too familiar blush rise to his pale cheeks.

"Oh, yeah…" Katara seemed to lose focus then, her eyes taking on a far away look.

"What about?" She asked rather distantly. Aang faltered, trying to decide on how he could ease into this gently.

"When I said that I definitely didn't want to kiss you…I didn't mean it." He said softly, shyly, and anxiously scanned Katara's face to gauge her reaction. She smiled, the blush from earlier still present on her tan cheeks, and Aang was reminded of the way she'd looked immediately after suggesting the kiss. He wanted to kiss her again.

"It's okay." She sighed softly. But it wasn't a defeated, resigned sigh. It was more of a relaxed, pleasant one that only made Aang's insides melt further. A distant, more childish part of him was slapping itself on the forehead. How could he be falling completely in love with something as small as a sigh? How would he even be able to hug this girl again without dying? But that part of him had never been more far away, and he ignored it, allowing the gooey feeling to spread through his every limb.

"It makes sense. I mean, we're best friends, it probably sounded kind of weird to you. So, _I'm _sorry." She apologized, looking away again. Aang felt his heart sink.

"No!" He said a little too hastily.

"I mean, don't be sorry, really. It wasn't weird, actually, it was great, I mean it was, umm…" Now he was lost, a complete train wreck. He must've sounded like a complete idiot to her. She however, giggled and put a hand on his knee.

"Well, I'm glad it was great." She said quietly, and Aang could have sworn a part of him had already gone off to the spirit world. Her voice was too close, her touch too soft but too intense, too much, far too much, and yet he only wanted more.

"What I meant was umm…you're just…" This time he stopped himself mid sentence, taking a deep breath to center himself before he continued.

"What I'm trying to say is…I've thought about it before. Us kissing, I mean. And I was just wondering what you thought." There, he'd said it. It wasn't as direct and to the point as he would have liked it to be and it wasn't even exactly what he'd wanted to say, but at least he hadn't sounded like a complete mess. And perhaps it was a good thing that he hadn't revealed too much. Now, he thought, if she did reject him he could at least pretend that it was alright. Technically, admitting that he'd thought about them kissing didn't mean he was head over heels in love with her. Or at least, he hoped not.

"I…umm…" She began, and Aang felt suddenly relieved, hope renewed. He wasn't the only one who was nervous. What if her insides were melting too? She still hadn't taken her hand off of his leg.

"It was…nice." She admitted at last with a soft smile. Aang could have shouted for joy and picked Katara up to fly far into the tree tops, but he didn't, for at that moment, a branch cracked behind them. Both turned sharply, preparing themselves to attack, only to find a tired looking Sokka standing before them.  
"What are you two _doing?_" He asked with a raised eyebrow. The balloon of excitement that had been swelling inside of Aang popped abruptly and his shoulders slumped. Now the moment was ruined.

"We were just talking, Sokka." He felt slightly better upon hearing the irritated tone in Katara's voice as she addressed her brother.

"Well, come back to the campsite and talk in the morning or something. We're in Fire Nation territory and I don't want anything to happen." Katara grit her teeth in annoyance but beckoned for Aang to follow her as she stood up. He sighed in defeat. He knew Sokka meant well, they both did, but why now just as his dreams were about to come true?

"Good night, Aang." Katara murmured as they returned to the campfire.

"Night, Katara." Aang said quietly, mournfully. Before he could turn to crawl back into his sleeping bag however, Katara grabbed him gently by the wrist and placed a brief kiss on his cheek. He beamed at her.

"Thanks." He whispered, before turning away and returning to his spot on the other side of the fire. He was still without a definite answer, but he certainly felt at least one step closer as he drifted into slumber.


	26. Going Home

**A/N: I only got two vote on whether I should post this or not, but since they were both yes's, I did :). Not too much to say, other than thanks for all your super-nice reviews! It's great to know people are enjoying this :). Private LL Church: That's good, cuz most of these are lol. sammyboo585: I do plan on it sometime within the next few chapters ^^. Anyways: **

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

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Katara walked slowly over the grounds of the Southern Air Temple, feeling as she often did, pulled to Aang. It had been a mere four months since the Ozai's defeat, and while he was often busy with post-war reparations, Aang was currently free and had chosen to spend his time trying to restore his old home to its former glory. It was only his second day here, but he had already done a great deal to improve the state of the temple. He had used his ever advancing earth bending skills to repair the crumbling or smashed stone walls and ceilings of many of the rooms as well as part of the exterior of the temple and with Katara's help had cleared away the vines that grew over the ancient windows and doors. There was one very important thing he hadn't even started though.

"Hi Katara." He said softly, causing the waterbender to double back a step or two. He was sitting cross legged, his back to her several paces away, and she hadn't seen him in the waning light of the day. But he had felt her approaching.

"I'm sorry, Aang." She whispered, though she wasn't sure why. They weren't in any danger, and there was no one asleep to wake up by speaking at a normal volume. It had something to do with the way the rest of the temple was so tangibly silent, how even with the liveliest person she'd ever met trying to reawaken it, her and Aang's voices echoed through the clear air and off of the stone, giving off a rather eerie feeling of loneliness. And, she'd always felt as though she were interrupting something both personal and sacred to Aang when she walked in on his meditation sessions.

"It's okay, I was just about done anyhow." He told her, gesturing for her to sit beside him. Breathing an internal sign of relief, Katara willingly followed his signal, mimicking his position as she sat down next to him so their knees touched. The silence that followed however, was not the calming, peaceful one that Katara had hoped for. Rather, it felt strained and awkward, as though one of them was supposed to say something of meaning to the other. This was unusual by now, as they were usually eager to explore their new relationship and the joy it brought both of them. In fact, Katara could not recall a single dull moment between them since she had kissed him on the balcony outside of Iroh's teashop. She knew why the silence felt the way it did, though. When they had first landed at the temple, they had both remembered the last time they'd been here together, and Aang more likely than not had remembered events that had occurred long before that. Katara remembered him going into the Avatar State upon seeing Gyatso's remains, which he had not yet come back to during this second trip. She didn't feel it was appropriate for her to mention this, however. She felt almost like an intruder here, and though she knew logically that she would have to do something outright insulting for Aang to be angry with her, she still felt that she should keep a respectful distance from his past unless he willingly invited her into it. It was painful for him to remember, after all. Simultaneously though, she wasn't sure how else she could break the silence.

"Aang." She said softly at last. He looked at her, seeming relieved that she had spoken.

"Yeah?"

"What are we gonna do tomorrow?" She asked. It was indirect, but perhaps it would prompt him to open up. He chewed his lip uncertainly for a moment, his eyes focusing on a spot on the moon as his face took on a familiar expression of indecisiveness, the one that always came forward when he had to choose between being a child and being an adult, or between being Aang and the avatar.

"I don't know." He said at last, not moving his eyes. He paused in indecision again, before he shook his head slightly to continue.

"I've been thinking about this since we got here. I know I should give Gyatso and the other airbenders a proper burial, but it's just- it's just hard. Last time I saw…_it_, I went into the avatar state. I know I can control that now, but…" He trailed off, lowering his gaze in shame. He knew, Katara had told him that her mother was buried in the Southern Water Tribe, and she had seen it and helped with it. So why couldn't he do the same for his people? A hand rested on his shoulder, and he couldn't help but lean into the touch. It was so warm and comforting, accepting and forgiving and…alive. Everything that the temple wasn't right now. He hadn't had a chance to grieve when he'd been snatched directly from the iceberg into the war, rushing into mastering all of the elements in less than a year to defeat the world's most powerful tyrant.

"It's alright if you aren't ready yet." Katara told him softly.

"I know, it's hard. But you have all the time in the world to think about it now and decide what you want to do. I'm sure Gyatso would understand." He looked at her for a long moment before standing up.

"I'm ready." He told her.

"It's never going to be easy, but I…I have to do it. I won't be able to stop thinking about it until I do." Katara took a moment to privately admire his bravery. Aang, this boy, never ceased to amaze her. He'd been through more than any adult or child would be able to bear and still stood strong even when no one was around to judge him.

"Should I stay here?" She asked. This felt more private than Aang's meditation and the restoration of his home combined. He shook his head, though.

"Actually, I don't want to do this alone. You don't have to of course, but…I'd really like it if you came with me." Katara smiled understandingly and stood up, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Of course." She murmured. He gave her a very small, but sincere smile in return, showing his gratitude. They walked back into the inside of the temple, their footsteps echoing in the silent stone halls. The main corridor ended in a large door, and Katara guessed what was behind it before it was even opened. Aang stopped before it, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment. Katara embraced him.

"It'll be okay." She whispered. He nodded, pulling away and setting his jaw bravely before pushing open the door. The sight gave Katara a chill even though she had never known Gyatso, and she could only imagine how it made Aang feel. He showed no emotion however, only a dilation of his pupils as they rested upon what had once been his father, teacher, mentor, and best friend. Neither bender spoke, Aang only willed himself to go closer until he reached the skeleton. He gazed at it for a long while as Katara stood back, allowing him to take the time that he'd needed, but hadn't been able to have all these years. Then, he bended a small cart out of stone around the bones and pushed it towards the exit.

Katara listened without speaking as Aang chanted what she assumed were several ancient air nomad prayers before he, to Katara's surprise, set fire to the remnants. Her mouth opened, prepared to say his name in shock, but she stopped herself. Aang knew what he was doing. He took a deep breath and sent a gust through Gyatso's ashes, sending them adrift over the mountainside to be settled by the wind. Noticing her confusion, Aang spoke at last.

"The nomads believed that burying your loved ones traps their spirit, and that the only way for them to be free in the spirit world is to let the air carry their ashes wherever they're meant to go. That way, they'd always be one with their element." He looked out over the mountainside, suddenly looking much older than Katara knew him to be. Then, he knelt down on the earth, palms flat on the ground. It wasn't until then that he finally allowed a sob to escape his lips, tears streaming down his cheeks to drip onto the soil beneath him. Sensing that this was where it was right for her to step in, Katara knelt next to him and put her arms around him, pulling him close. He shook in her embrace, crying the tears that he'd held back through the whole war for the death of his entire race and leaning heavily against the only thing that had kept him standing through it all. The only one he knew he could depend on no matter what. The sound of his sobs lacerated Katara's heart and she felt her chest swell with a combination of deep sympathy and admiration for the boy she had grown to love so much. Several of her own tears dripped onto his tunic, but she only held him tighter, wishing she could cover all of his pain with all the care and affection she had to give. She needed her strength for the both of them now, for Aang.

"Gyatso…" He wept, frame shaking with anguish. They sat together until the moon was high in the sky and the air had grown uncomfortably chilly, and at last, Aang dried his face, wiping his eyes across his arm and sniffing deeply before letting out a long, tired, sigh and kneeling back, breaking Katara's hold but taking her hand, not wanting to lose contact with her. In fact, he didn't ever want to let go of her again. He couldn't lose her too, couldn't bear the thought of doing this alone. Especially considering the fact that he knew there must be dozens more skeletons scattered around the temple. Just the thought made him feel heavy with sorrow.

"It's so quiet." He sighed, his voice quaking with grief. He at last looked into Katara's eyes, realizing again just how important she was to him.

"I know." She said softly, reaching up to brush a hand over his cheek.

"But, it won't be this way forever." _I promise._ Aang hesitated, looking uncertain once more before deciding that after everything, it just didn't feel right to hold back any of his inner thoughts.

"Katara…I know I'm only thirteen, but, I know more than anything that you're the only one I can ever love this way. I don't know if I could live without you now." Katara didn't need to hear the words to know they were true. She felt it whenever she was around him, she saw it glimmering in those lively eyes.

"We'll get married someday, Aang." She promised

"I know it's far away now, but I can't see my future without you. We'll have a family together, and you can teach our children to airbend, and then it won't be so quiet anymore." The aching pain partly left Aang's face and his eyes sparkled warmly.

"I think Gyatso would've liked that." He answered.

"He would've been so proud of you." Katara squeezed his hands, silently thanking the spirits for allowing him to be there with her, for sparing the most wonderful being the world had ever been blessed with. Aang blushed, never ceasing to be humbled by every compliment Katara gave him.

"Yeah. I'm just lucky I have someone as amazing as you to help me."


	27. Fascination

**A/N: This is a little more "intimate" than most of my stuff, but I don't think it's too bad =]. I'm also very inspired for the next chapter, so yeah. Enjoy! I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

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"Jeeze Aang…" Katara commented in surprise as Aang lay down on his stomach before her. His sparring match with Zuko had ended with him getting quite a large burn on the back of his shoulder. Though he had mastered firebending long ago, he and Zuko were still even in ability and they sometimes injured each other unintentionally, as did Aang and Toph, though as her instincts were naturally keener than Aang's, she held a slight advantage and was considered by some to be the best earth bender in the world.

"I know, I should be more careful." He winced as Katara ran a hand over the wound before bending a glove of water around her hand to heal him with. His tense body relaxed and the pained expression drained from his face as the cool liquid soothed the burn, healing the charred skin in a matter of minutes. Aang found however, that he did not feel like getting up even as Katara sent the water back into the skin she carried at her side. She did not move either though, instead trailing her fingers over the arrow tattoo on his scalp and back, causing him to shudder.

"What?" She asked curiously. Privately, she had always wanted to be able to run her fingers along the length of Aang's tattoos and trace them over and over, use them to map out his body. There was just something magnetic about them to her, she'd always admired them and held a secret fascination for what they represented.

"Should I…not do that?" Aang shook his head.

"No, it's fine, it actually feels…good." He admitted with a blush.

"Oh." Katara commented.

"So um, I know this sounds weird, but is it okay if I feel them?" She was reminded suddenly of the time Aang had asked if he could feel her hair and had ended up spending most of the afternoon running his fingers through it, brushing, braiding and unbraiding, touching.

"Go ahead." He smiled, inwardly proud that Katara took an interest in the markings. At least he pain had been worth something. He couldn't help but shudder again as he felt her warm fingertips start at his forehead and trail, never once lifting off of his skin, all the way down to the waistband of his pants, where they stopped and went back up again. She did this several times before moving to his arms, starting at his upper arm and moving all the way down to the hands, before doing the same with his legs and feet. He sighed contentedly, causing Katara's stomach to flip slightly. This, she realized, was a sensual experience for both of them, a new form of intimate contact she'd discovered.

"Aang." she whispered softly, returning her fingers to the back of his neck and placing her lips next to his ear.

"Mhmm?" His voice was almost a purr, and Katara smiled, feeling slightly more confident about her odd request now that she knew Aang's reaction was a positive one.

"Does that…do your tattoos feel differently than the rest of your body?" She inquired. He nodded.

"They're more sensitive. That's why it feels good when you do that. I think it has something to do with the fact that the physical avatar gets channeled through them." There was a moment of silence that followed in which Katara took the opportunity to trace the powder blue path over Aang's spine again.

"Did it hurt when you got them?" She questioned as he closed his eyes in response to her gentle touch.

"More than I want to remember. I think it was the second most painful thing in my life, after getting struck by lightning. And sometimes, I actually think it was worse because it took hours and I wasn't allowed to move. I mean, they pretty much scrape into your skin and fill the wounds with dye." He explained. Katara winced, finger tips still not stilling.

"You really are brave." She commented. Aang smiled peacefully.

"Thanks. It was definitely all worth it for this, though." He smirked playfully. Katara laughed.

"That good, huh?" She asked.

"Katara, come on. I'm pretty sure it's every man's dream to have the love of his life telling him he's brave and feeling the most- well, _second _most I guess sensitive spots on his body." He grinned mischievously at her.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed with a blush, mortified. Aang, despite his innocent exterior, was indeed growing into a young man, she noted. While he wasn't half as perverse as most boys though, he still had his occasional moments. He laughed.

"Sorry, Katara. But I'm serious. This is almost as good as it gets. It's right up there with getting to feel your hair that first time." He admitted, unabashed. Despite her embarrassment, Katara smiled warmly, feeling quite flattered.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"But…can I ask you something else?" Aang nodded.

"Of course."

"It's about the air nomads." She chose her words carefully. Though Aang seemed to be in the best of moods, it was still a sensitive topic and though he would never burst into a fit of rage over a simple question, she could sometimes tell that he was saddened by the reminder of his lost people when people asked him questions in a brash manner. And she didn't wish to spoil the intimacy of the moment. So before she spoke, she took his hand, tracing the arrow on the back.

"Yeah." He answered.

"The "no earthly attachments" thing. Was this…what we're doing now, was it allowed? I wouldn't want to force you to leave your culture behind." She squeezed his hand caringly. He sighed.

"Well, not really, no. The monks and nuns were raised at separate temples, as you know. When they were sixteen, it was tradition that they would be paired together for a week to you know, "continue the race" and then again when they were eighteen. So ideally, each airbending couple would produce two children. Of course, you can imagine that didn't always work out. Even though most of us respected our culture, a lot of them fell in love and ran away when they were visiting other nations, or fell in love with the person they were paired with and got more attached than they were supposed to. I respect the culture too, but every nation has its flaws and I have to say this was the air nomads' biggest. They were denying themselves the most wonderful thing" he paused here to take both of Katara's hands.

"that exists in this world. I can't think of anything I would willingly trade you for. Besides, I always felt it sort of went against the nomadic way of life, you know? You're supposed to sort of let fate carry you, and denying yourself love, life's greatest gift does the opposite." Katara was, not for the first time, both impressed and flattered by Aang's wisdom and she kissed his lips.

"You're wonderful." She murmured.

"Only for you." He answered sincerely, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She then pushed herself up, pressing her lips against the back of her beloved's neck, and then trailing them, as she had done with her hands, down his spine, along the arrow, on top of the awful scar Azula had given him as if to fill a wound of hate with all the love she had, kissing him, adoring every inch of this wonderful being, worshipping him for just being Aang.

"I love you so much." She whispered between kisses. It was all he could do to keep still, not wanting the shivers of pleasure Katara's lips were evoking to shake her off of him. She had parted her lips with her tongue, and he closed his eyes as he felt her place open mouthed kisses over the stripe on his back, not able to remember a time or a person that had ever made him feel so loved. Her tongue flicked over the back of his neck and a moan escaped his lips to. She blushed, pausing before gently nipping his ear in an act of affectionate possession. She felt slightly selfish for wanting Aang to be all hers, but she had never desired anything so much in her life. This boy, this incredible being was the greatest gift she could have ever hoped for. He stopped her however, sitting up and taking her gently by the wrist to guide her back to his face so that he could kiss her, following this with a series of kisses down her throat which prompted her to bring her arms around his back and hold him tightly.

"Aang." She breathed.

"Aang…"

"Katara…" He answered, his breath hot against her skin. He kissed her lips chastely, and she was struck by how loving and gentle he was, how pure and good and right and absolutely perfect. He had the biggest heart in the world, of that she had no doubt.

"Thank you, for loving me." She whispered in his ear, fingertips traveling the length of his spine as she lowered her head to kiss his shoulder.

"No Katara, thank you." He kissed her again, lips trailing from her ear across her cheek until they reached her lips once more. Their eyes met and both smiled before Aang lay down again, head flopping into Katara's lap like that of an affectionate rabbit-dog puppy. She laughed, feeling as though her heart was just too full.


	28. Anticipation

**A/N: Sorry this is a day late, guys :(. If you read this regularly, you've probably noticed that I always update on Tuesday. I had this mostly done over the weekend but I was busy vday on Monday and had ballroom dance class yesterday evening, so I didn't get to put on the finishing touches till today. I had better stuff in mind for this because I've wanted to write something like this for ages, but this didn't come out exactly as I'd hoped. There will probably be more, similar writings like this later, but for next chapter I promised ShockingRevelation something different :). Anyways:**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

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She stood, leaning against the balcony railing and gazing out over their small Ba Sing Se backyard. Her hair was out over her shoulders, and she wore only a simple white robe over her undergarments. Getting dressed now was too much of a hassle if she didn't have to appear in public. It was no longer comfortable for her to bend over, and standing up while she looked in the mirror to fix her hair and look like a proper diplomat made her ankles hurt with the extra weight she bore from carrying Aang's child within her. It was much more convenient to simply do the minimum on days like these where her husband himself was the only one who would see her.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and a head rested on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise at first, her heart dipping into her stomach before she caught her breath, catching a familiar blue stripe ending in an arrow on the hands that now rested against her swollen belly.

"Aang." She gasped.

"Spirits, don't do that." Her husband at last made his appearance in front of her, grinning sheepishly, and she couldn't help but forgive him instantly.

"I'm back." He said simply, and she laughed, allowing him to take her by the hands and spin her in a small circle reminiscent of the great deal of dancing they used to do before she'd gotten pregnant. He guided her through several more basic steps before he twirled her one last time and then knelt before her, tugging on the end of the sash that held her robe closed.

"Aang!" She hissed as the garment fell open, revealing her bare skin and undergarments.

"What?" He asked innocently, not hesitating to place his hands on her ever growing stomach to feel the life growing within. Aang, not to anyone's surprise, was not at all fazed by the slightly shorter temper Katara had often been showing and was in fact, more affectionate than ever, despite the fact that this had previously seemed close to impossible. He smiled warmly, feeling a small movement against the palms of his hands. Katara closed her eyes momentarily, wincing.

"Does it hurt?" Her husband asked, concerned.

"Not really, it's just a little uncomfortable sometimes, especially standing up…" She didn't even have to finish her statement, for Aang had already swept her into his arms to carry her back inside to their room, to which she didn't protest. It was always a relief to feel at least temporarily weightless nowadays. He laid her gently on the bed they shared, kneeling next to her with a loving smile. Then, he lowered his lips to her abdomen, kissing the bottom of the rounded bump and working his way up, over it, then across her chest and neck, where he paused to nip affectionately at the sensitive areas he had by now memorized, causing his wife's eyes to flutter shut in contentment.

"Aang…" She moaned.

"Mmm…" He pulled away to look directly into her eyes.

"Only for you." She told him, taking his hand.

"Thank you." He whispered sincerely.

"You have no idea how much I want this." He kissed her cheek, trailing his lips up her face, causing her to smile.

"If this kid's anything like you, I don't think we'll have any problems." She commented.

"I'm scared." She confessed. She knew it was silly. She knew they'd all had near death encounters before and she should just be grateful that Aang was alive and happy and doing this all right by her side. She knew she was the luckiest woman in the world to be carrying the child of the most compassionate, loving man that had ever lived. Aang's look of elation turned almost instantly to one of concern.

"About being parents?" He asked. Aang never said "about being a mother." He always referred to them as parents together.

"Not really." She replied honestly.

"I mean, I feel like I was meant to be a mother in a lot of ways. It's who I am. And I know our baby could never hope for a more caring father. You already love it so much…" She paused, giving him a bright smile, which he returned, squeezing her hand.

"What's wrong then?" Katara looked to the side and nervously stroked a fistful of her hair.

"It'll probably seem stupid to you…" She blushed. Aang draped a comforting arm over her shoulders.

"It won't. I'd never think that about any of your thoughts. Just tell me." He reassured, now only more curious and concerned.

"It's just…I'm scared of the pain." Saying it out loud made it sound even sillier to her than it had in her head. They had all been through so much so young, so much worse. Aang especially. Aang had lost all of his people and had come within an inch of death too many times, but always faced his fears bravely, as did the rest of their friends. But the rest of their friends knew pain in a way Katara didn't.

"The pain?" Aang asked. His tone didn't suggest that he thought she was being unreasonable, so she explained.

"It's just…almost all of our friends have gotten hurt really badly, except for me. You got struck by lightning, Sokka broke his leg, Toph got her feet burned, Zuko got that horrible burn on his face…and I've always been able to heal myself as soon as something bad happened to me. So, I guess subconsciously I think I won't be able to handle the pain of giving birth, and it makes me feel sort of weak, to be honest." She confessed. Her husband gazed at her tenderly.

"And then there's the fact that I've delivered a lot of other women's babies, and their pain is always so awful that they don't even act like themselves through it. I can't imagine how terrible that must feel." She spared Aang a glance, closing her eyes again as he smoothed his hands over her growing belly.

"It'll be alright." He told her.

"And it doesn't sound silly. If I were you, I'd be kind of scared too. Nobody likes being in pain. I know that probably doesn't mean much coming from a man, but I know you'll do great. You've always been so strong. And besides, I'll be right there with you through it all, I promise." He smiled. She returned it, softly, leaning her head on his shoulder affectionately.

"Don't ever leave." She sighed, her breath tickling his neck. Bending his head, Aang placed a kiss on her cheek and then another on her lips.

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to. I love you both way too much. Does that help at all?" He asked

"I don't think I'll be able to stop worrying until the baby actually comes, but you _always _make me feel better." Katara answered, looking with confidence into her husband's eyes.

"And no matter what happens, I know that this baby will have the world's greatest father."


	29. The Wedding

**A/N: Back on schedule! This is for Shocking Revelation because he requested a wedding fic ^^. I have another request that I wrote for the next chapter, also, so for now I'm taking a break from requests because in addition to these two, I have a lot of ideas of my own swimming around my head asking to be written. This isn't the most fantastic thing ever because I think I made it a little overly cheesy, but I was happy with the detail I got into it. Also, all your guys' super-nice reviews make me so happy :). Really, they make my day every time I get one 3. Anyways, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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**For the first time he could remember, Aang was completely ready for a day that would change his life forever. Today was the day he would finally marry Katara, after years and years of yearning and wishing and dreaming of it. This would be the first big change of his life that wasn't for the sake of the rest of the world or the balance of power in the four nations. No, this would be a day just for him and Katara, the most incredible woman in the world. The one who had saved him so many times and whom he loved more than anything. This was what Aang told himself as he privately dressed himself for the monumental event. They had only invited their closest friends and the ceremony itself would be relatively small and simple, but it was still something of immense importance to Aang, and he knew it was for Katara as well. And yet for some reason, he felt unusually scattered and anxious. He could not for the life of him seem to collect himself and reach a sense of inner calm despite several earlier attempts to meditate. He knew, subconsciously of course, why. But he couldn't bring himself to logically think his worries through. He groaned, kneeling down and crossing his legs before the large mirror before him. He wanted this more than anything, had since he was twelve. So why couldn't he just allow himself to be absorbed in the joy that he would soon share with his bride? He stared at his reflection pensively. He looked decent. Handsome, even. _But what if that's not good enough?_ Despite the fact that he had long ago defeated the world's most powerful tyrant, Aang still occasionally felt nervous about certain things. Namely, impressing Katara when the pressure was on. He knew she loved him. She never thought any less of him for showing his full emotional spectrum, fear included, she supported him constantly and she always came to him when she felt the need for his comfort and affection as well. She _told _him she loved him every day. But that was when it was just them and the things he'd become so familiar with. Aang was not familiar with weddings, and a good amount of people from her tribe would be there to witness their union. Katara had told him what he needed to do, and it was relatively simple. But being perfect had never seemed to matter more to him than it did now. He didn't want to embarrass her in front of her entire community, couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her or letting her down. And then there was the night. They hadn't spoken about it, but what was to happen was simply implied, a mutual understanding between the two of them. Aang wanted it, and when they lay together for hours and kissed until he was breathless Aang knew that she did, too. But now, it was another thing that he had to try his hardest not to ruin in any way.

"Just wait till you see her." Aang jumped and let out a small shout of surprise. He should have felt Zuko coming, but he'd been too caught up in his own worries to notice.

"Relax." The firebender held up his hands, a small smile on his face. Aang exhaled loudly.

"What?"

"Stand up." Aang obeyed, temporarily distracted from his thoughts.

"Zuko…what, what's going on?" He asked.

"I just thought you'd be a little nervous, and it turns out I was right." Zuko had married Mai a little over two years ago and now even had a child, beginning the new line of fire nation royalty. Aang glowered slightly at his friend, did he really look that disconcerted? If anything, the knowledge that his nervousness was visible set him even more on edge.

"Why would you think that?" He answered rather shortly. Zuko ignored the question.

"I know this day means a lot to you and you're afraid you'll mess something up in front of her family. And you know this day means a lot to her and you're afraid she'll never forget if something goes wrong." Aang's shoulders slumped.

"Yeah." He muttered.

"But how do you know that? You married someone from the same culture as you and you're royalty. You had to have been to a ton of weddings and ceremonies and stuff before you got married." Zuko shrugged.

"Yeah. But in a way that means even more pressure, considering everyone pays attention to the royal family's weddings and stuff, you know? It's not always easy. But believe me, once you actually just get out there and see her, the nervousness goes away and you feel great." It struck Aang again as it sometimes still did how odd it would have seemed just a little less than a decade ago that Zuko was actually giving him friendly advice. On romance of all things.

"Really?" He asked.

"It's just, I love her so much, and I've wanted this since forever. Even when I proposed to her, I wasn't really worried about anything. I know we're supposed to be together…so I didn't expect to get nervous at all." Zuko nodded, understandingly.

"I know. Even when I first joined your group, I could sorta tell. You just need to focus on her and forget about her tribe and all your friends for a couple minutes. If you're confident about loving her, you'll be fine." Aang nodded. He _was _confident about loving Katara. It made sense that he was nervous about being watched by everyone in her community, but that didn't explain his anxieties about tonight. His eyes searched the room for a brief moment as he tried to decide how personal he should allow this talk to get.

"Were you…" He started, shifting uncomfortably.

"Nervous about your first night with Mai?" Zuko chuckled.

"Well, that's a different thing all together." He started.

"I mean, I thought about it all the time before we got married. And especially the week of. I was a little worried I'd mess something up, but once it's just you two alone, you forget about all that. I mean, you know each other so well that it just feels comfortable, and it is a relief to be alone after being watched all day."

"Hey, Aang! Get out here, your wedding's about to start!" Sokka stuck his head in through the open door, and Aang took a deep breath and looked at Zuko for a final time.

"Thanks." He said, and though his voice was on the verge of shaking, he smiled, embracing his friend.

"Any time. Now, go get her." Aang took one last look at himself in the mirror, his golden robe and wooden pendant, his arrow showing proudly on his head, before he exited the room.

_I'm about to marry Aang._ The words pulsed through Katara's mind in time with her heartbeat, and it was all she could do to keep her knees from shaking as she took her father's arm. She was going to marry the man of her dreams, right now, finally. She would spend the rest of her life with the one she cherished more than anything and now was only the beginning.

"Aang's waiting for you." Suki said softly from the waterbender's side.

"Katara." She looked up at her father, the man who loved her and her brother more than anything and smiled.

"Yeah, dad?"

"I just want you to know how proud I am of you. I'm sorry I missed so much of your childhood, but you've grown into such a beautiful, strong woman and I love you so much. I really do wish you and Aang the best." Katara bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She didn't want Aang to see her in tears on their wedding day.

"I love you too, Dad." She turned and embraced her father, resting her head against his chest.

"I just wish Mom were here to see this…" Hakoda placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders and gave a bittersweet smile.

"She's always with us. And I know she's very proud of you, too." Katara brushed at her eyes and nodded, facing forward again and looping her arm through Hakoda's._ Aang, here I come._

Zuko was right. Katara looked stunning. She wore a white silken dress cut in a similar shape to the dress she'd worn throughout their travels in the earth kingdom, only this one was tighter fitting and had only one slit on the side. The bottom and the short sleeves were embroidered with a bright blue lily pattern, each seam lined with the same color. Her hair looked as it did the first time she had kissed Aang on the balcony outside of Iroh's teashop, except the top half was held back with a blue flower to match the color of the embroidery on her dress. And even though she was breathtakingly beautiful, Aang felt nervous no longer as she approached him on the arm of her father, her sparkling eyes never once leaving her groom's. And then she was standing before him, smiling that beautiful smile of hers. Beaming, he took her hand delicately within his own, and she released her father's arm.

"Katara." He began, the sound of her name further relaxing him. Despite the fact that dozens of people were watching and listening, she was the only one he was speaking to.

"It's only been five years since I first met you, but I couldn't be happier than I am right now. You've saved me so many times, and I fell in love with you within a month of meeting you. You're my hope, my reason to fight, my motivation to keep living. You've given me more than I could ever ask of anyone, and for that I am so grateful. After the first time I kissed you, I knew I wouldn't be able to live without you. I promise to love you, respect you, and cherish every moment I have with you for the rest of eternity, and I would have even if you'd refused to marry me. You deserve so much more than I can give you-" He paused, his breath catching in his throat, for Katara had against her will, begun to cry softly. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she was smiling, her hand never leaving her groom's. Before he continued, he reached forward with his free hand to brush the tears from her face with the pad of his thumb, returning her smile privately and suddenly remembering their first dance five years ago._ It's just you and me right now._ She gave him a very small nod, and he continued.

"but I hope you'll accept me as your husband. That is all I can ask. You mean the whole world to me, Katara, and I love you more than anything." The woman to whom he spoke drew a shaky breath.

"I do accept you, Aang. I love you so much more than I can even describe, and I promise to continue to love you, respect you, and cherish you for as long as our spirits exist. I would take no one else for my husband, and there is no force that could make me leave your side." Hakoda smiled as his daughter finished reciting her vows and squeezed both bride and groom's shoulders.

"I, Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara's father, hereby bless this marriage. May you, Aang, and Katara have a long and happy union." As Aang had no living parent-figure nor prominent members of his culture present to bless the marriage, these words marked the official beginning of his life with Katara as his wife. Beaming, he swept her into the air as he kissed her, feeling the moisture of her tears wet his face.

"I love you, so much Aang." She whispered in his ear as they parted.

"I love you too." They embraced again, the fact that they were in public completely forgotten.

"Sokka, are you crying?" Toph asked incredulously from her seat, the closest to the platform Aang and Katara stood on, shifting her focus from the effervescently happy couple to the warrior seated between her and his own wife.

"No-!" He paused.

"I'm allowed to, okay! Aang's crying too. Make fun of him." Sokka protested, wiping at his eyes. Despite the fact that their relationship was often characterized by sibling rivalry and teasing, his sister's happiness truly was of great importance to him, and seeing her so elated hit a soft spot in his heart. Besides, he wasn't _really crying._ His eyes were just a little wet, that was all. But for once, he didn't really care. Today was a day for his sister and new brother in law. Smiling softly, Suki placed a hand on her husband's shoulder as the three of them looked on, all happy for their two friends who deserved this joy more than anyone. The pair stepped off of the slightly raised platform, Aang extending his hand to his bride in an invitation to commence their first dance. A small group of Iroh's friends, musicians, had agreed to provide music for the ceremony, and soon, the newlyweds were whirling together on one of the many patios of the Southern Air Temple, entirely absorbed in their passion for each other. For the first time that day, Katara realized how beautiful everything looked. In the late spring, several different types of trees were flowering around the courtyard that had been used for various air-nomad ceremonies in the past, and though nothing had been groomed or cut back for the sake of aesthetics, to her, the place couldn't have possibly looked more lovely or romantic. But best of all, was her new husband. She'd seen him dressed up many times before now, but the glow of true, profound happiness that radiated off of him made him shine like a beacon to Katara, as he had the very first time she'd seen him. And it made her dizzy with joy to think that she was the source of that happiness. When the music stopped, announcing the end of the song, Aang guided his wife to the edge of the fountain that sat at the far end of the courtyard and took a seat, breathless. Several friends, the Duke, Teo, Haru, and Iroh passed to congratulate them for what felt like the millionth time, each receiving thanks for their salutations, before inviting their own partners to dance.

"Aang…" Katara's breath tickled his ear and his contented smile left the dance floor and fell gracefully onto her, basking her in its warmth. He pulled her legs over his so that she was sitting sideways across his lap, grinning at her.

"Yes, dear?" He answered. Katara couldn't help but laugh, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Since when do you say that?"

"Since we got married. I just thought it would be fun to try it. Zuko and Mai use it all the time." He shrugged lightly, eyes twinkling.

"Well, _dear, _what ever happened to forever girl?" Aang turned crimson.

"Katara…" He groaned, embarrassed.

"I was hoping you'd have forgotten about that." Katara laughed, but smiled apolegetically and cupped her husband's face to kiss him.

"Just so you know, I didn't mind that one. I thought it was cute. But…I just wanted to let you know, I didn't know it was possible to be this happy. Or to love someone as much as I love you." Her voice was like warm water to Aang, soothing, inviting.

"And I didn't know it was possible for someone as amazing as you to fall in love with me. But it's still the best thing I could have ever imagined happening." Katara kissed him again before answering in a voice that made Aang melt inside.

"Oh…believe me, my husband, I'm not complaining."


	30. Release

**A/N: This one is for Private LL Church, even though I had already written it before it was requested :). Just because this was one of the loose ends the series never really got tied up and I can't stand not having answers, so I make them myself! Also I mightttt be posting another oneshot within the next few days, but not to this story because it's rated M. It's my first real experiment with smut, so I'm kind of hesitant, but I'm thinking I'll come around to publishing it because the only way you can get better is through trial and error =]. And also because I actually don't think it's that bad. It was one of those stories that I just felt so inspired about that it almost wrote itself. I rather liked it reading it over, anyways. SO, if you're interested, you can keep an eye out for that and if not, I'll have another chappie ready in this story by next Tuesday as usual ^_^. Enjoy! And thanks again so much for all the kind reviews. Shocking Revelation: I'm really glad you liked it! I worked hard on it just for you :)**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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**"You must learn to let her go." The words echoed hollowly inside Aang's head. He couldn't. He knew his duty was first and foremost to the world, but he'd already lost everyone he'd loved and now he was being asked to let go of the only one he had left, the one thing that still made him feel like the luckiest person alive, the only one who truly knew him completely inside and out and he didn't have to hide anything from. His reason to fight. But he closed his eyes and nodded, seeing a winding path before him and allowing her familiar figure to dance away before his eyes.

"No!" His inner being, Aang, screamed at him to go back, to grab for her, reach for her, but Aang was far away now. Now, he was the avatar and Katara only a girl who had happened to teach him waterbending. Not the girl who made him ache with joy whenever she looked at him, nor the one who always stood beside him and believed in him no matter what went wrong. He could feel his soul leaving his body, his heart, all the feelings and love, his passions ripping out from inside of him.

"No…Katara!"

His eyes snapped open to behold a dark room and none other than Katara herself leaning over him. He gasped and sat up, allowing Katara to close her arms around him in a soothing hug as he rested his forehead on her shoulder to catch his breath and bask in the relief that it had only been a dream.

"Are you alright?" She asked against his ear when his breathing returned to normal.

"I'm fine, it was just a dream." He told her. _A nightmare._ Though the war was over and balance restored, Aang had yet to tell Katara about what the guru had told him at the Eastern Air Temple. It still made him uneasy and upset. Almost instinctively, he gripped her still more tightly as if to prevent her from slipping between his fingers, closing his eyes as he inhaled her scent and felt her warm body secure in his arms. It was moments like these that made him realize again how much he truly needed her, how much of a wreck he'd be without her there to love and love him in return.

"Please." He begged quietly.

"Just be with me, Katara…" It was also these moments that drove him to such desperation that he felt as though his life would end if her solid presence left him for even a second.

"I've never thought about leaving you, Aang." She answered tenderly, her heart swelling with a combination of sympathy and affection for the boy she loved so dearly. His deep trust in her meant the world to her. No one else saw this Aang, the Aang with doubts and fears and haunting thoughts. No one but her.

"Tell me about your nightmare." She requested gently as she felt his tense form relax after several minutes and his grip loosen. He shook his head.

"It's a long story." He answered shortly and Katara pursed her lips in frustration. She loved Aang and she respected his privacy, but every now and then he would refuse to tell her about his dreams, while most of the time, he was an open book about them. It perplexed her.

"Aang…" Her tone was both pleading and slightly vexed. She wasn't angry, just tired of Aang blocking himself from her. She'd never judged him negatively before and she was sure that no matter what kind of secrets he held from her, they wouldn't be the types of things that would anger her. He sighed, now equally frustrated. He wanted to tell her. But he wasn't sure how she would take it and it was still a moment he was rather ashamed of.

"I'm sorry, Katara. It…it is a long story. And it's not just a dream. It's kind of, reality." He admitted. There was no sense, he finally reasoned, in keeping it from her. She only wanted to help.

"Will you tell me about it?" She asked, sounding suddenly hopeful. Even in the dark, Aang couldn't say no to beseeching look in her eyes. She only wanted to help him. She always did. And he couldn't remember a single time where she hadn't succeeded.

"Alright. Do you mind if we go outside?" Katara raised an eyebrow but extended her hand for Aang to take as they hopped off of the bed.

"Are we going on a walk?"

"Sure, um, maybe, yeah." The waterbender smiled, rather fond of how hesitant Aang still was sometimes. She'd always found it rather endearing.

"So, what's up?" She asked as they exited the temple. The moon was almost full, and the sky stunningly clear. One of the things she'd missed most about living away from the city was the abundance of stars in the sky. Aang took a deep breath, taking a seat on the edge of the fountain that decorated the back patio.

"Do you remember that time Azula almost killed me?" Katara seemed to pale as she sat beside him.

"How could I not?" she asked, wincing. She understood slightly better now. No doubt that day was still difficult for him to talk about. It was still almost unbearable for her to even _think _about and she hadn't even been the one with lightning coursing through her body.

"And how before that battle, I was at the Eastern Air Temple with the guru?"

"Yeah. Is this about that?" She asked. Aang nodded.

"We talked. And he told me that in order to have complete control over the avatar state, I needed to open all of my seven chakras, earth, water, fire, air, sound, light, and thought." He told her tentatively.

"What are chakras?" Katara inquired, slightly embarrassed. She didn't like to appear ignorant in any subject concerning Aang, but he'd never told her about this before. Aang sensed this and smiled, instantly quelling her uneasiness.

"It's okay. I didn't know anything about them before either. But basically, they're pools of energy located in a straight line up the center of the body. The way the chi flows through your body is sort of determined by their openness. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to have all of them open to achieve mastery of the Avatar State." He explained.

"But…you can't bend at all without a chi flow. You bended just fine even before you went to see the guru." Katara's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah. But this has to do with the flow of cosmic energy, too. It's kind of complicated." His eyes fell to is lap.

"Complicated, huh?" Katara asked, smiling slightly. _You have no idea._ Aang thought wryly to himself.

"Yeah. But it's okay. The important thing to understand is that the flow of cosmic energy in the chakras can be blocked by certain inhibitions. Like…the air chakra is supposed to be the center of pleasure and is blocked by grief. To unblock it, I had to accept that the love I had for the air nomads wasn't gone, just reborn…into my love for you." He raised his eyes and smiled hopefully at her, a small blush on his cheeks. She looked astonished.

"Really? Aang…that's…I don't know what to say." She breathed, profoundly touched. Rather timidly, he reached out to cover her hand with his own, gray eyes shining hopefully.

"You deserve it." He whispered.

"And you deserve the whole world." She answered, cupping his face to place a kiss upon his lips. He grinned.

"Finish your story." Katara requested gently.

"Oh! Right. Sorry…" The airbender rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, slightly embarrassed for having gotten distracted.

"I did fine until the last one, because he told me it was blocked by earthly attachment." He resumed, bracing himself for the hardest part.

"Mainly…my attachment to you. I didn't understand at first because in opening the air chakra, you were supposed to embrace the love you had for those around you… and I got scared. I didn't want to let go of my attachment to you because I felt like you were all I had in a lot of ways. You made me so happy, Katara. And you were the only reason this whole avatar thing didn't completely destroy me. I didn't know what to do without you. But I tried to do it anyways, because I figured it was selfish to keep my attachment to you instead of mastering the avatar state so I could save the world for you. I didn't want to let you down. Then though, I had a vision of you in trouble and ran away…again." He looked down in shame. He knew that ideally, duty always came before personal desires, but this had been too hard. Katara had saved him so many times, it just didn't seem fair or right to let her go.

"Aang…" She said softly. She felt her friend's pain deeply. It was true, she had been one of the only things he'd been able to latch onto as he began to make his way in a new, unfamiliar world, and it didn't seem fair that he be asked to give that up. She couldn't blame him, especially since things had worked out so well in the end.

"In my nightmare, I did let you go, but it was horrible. It was like…my soul was being ripped out of my body, and you were fading away, and I was reaching for you but I couldn't get you back in time." He finished, daring to steal a quick glance at the girl beside him.

"But…you did master the avatar state, didn't you? You had it, in Ba Sing Se. What happened?" She asked, confused. Aang shrugged, turning around to dip his bare feet into the fountain.

"I don't honestly know. I thought I'd let you go when I got into the avatar state in the catacombs, but when I woke up and saw you, the only thing I noticed was how glad I was that you were with me and how happy it made me to know you were alright. The last thing I thought about before I was out those few weeks was how much I wanted to kiss you right then." He confessed, averting his eyes again. He felt her touch his shoulder then, and when he glanced up at her, she smiled at him.

"I don't know if we'll ever know what happened." She murmured.

"But, sometimes that's okay. We'll never know everything. What's important, Aang, is that you're here now and I love you so much. You did more than your duty as the avatar, and you have every right to enjoy yourself the way you want to now, cosmic energy or not." She squeezed his hand and it was as though her smile had been transferred through their arms onto his face, his gray eyes suddenly alight.

"I enjoy being with you." He said simply, unashamed of the words and feeling as though the last bit of weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I enjoy being with you, too." Katara replied with a smile. They were silent for a moment before Aang yawned.

"Ready to go back?" Katara asked. Aang nodded, taking her hand to pull himself up from the edge of the fountain.

"Just for the record." She spoke in midstep on their way back to the room.

"Avatar State or not, I'm so glad you chose me."


	31. Unintended

**A/N: **I uploaded this twice because I deleted the profile updated chapter so this came up as ch 51, which most of you guys already reviewed. Because I love reviews, I made this ch 52 as well** whooo, another long one. First of all, I'm really glad so many of you enjoyed 'Awake' :). I'm glad I did alright on my first attempt at smut and whatnot. So I may do more in the future if I feel so inclined ^^. But for now, this is the new chapter, and I was also really in my zone while writing it, so I thought it came out well. This is also another first for me (you'll see what I mean wen you get into it) because I've never really written Aang and Katara "interracting" if you will, this way before, so it was interesting for me to explore. Also, if you read "Stuck" I mentioned I've gained a much greater appreciation for Zuko, which you can also see hear. In fact, after rewatching a good deal of the series, I've gained a greater appreciation for all the other characters, so expect to see them more often in the upcoming chappies. Anyhow, enjoy!**

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**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. **

* * *

As was usual these days, Aang was smiling. In his closed fist, he carried a bouquet of flowers that he'd picked just for Katara. They'd agreed that tonight, they would meet at the river that flowed down the hillside of Ember Island to spend quiet time with each other, an activity that was often hard to find space for in their now busy schedules. He passed the main house they were staying in, not paying particular attention to the activity inside. Tonight, his mind was only on the river and his much missed time with his beloved waterbender.

"Going to see Aang?" The sound of his own name from inside stopped Aang in his tracks, and out of curiosity, he moved closer to the door that opened to the main entrance of the house. It was Zuko's voice that had spoken.

"Yeah. It's been hard to get alone time with everything that's been going on." He heard Katara answer. Suddenly curious, he hopped lightly onto the rail of the porch, settling himself down to listen. This wasn't really eavesdropping, he told himself. It wasn't as though they were talking about anything of extreme secrecy. Besides, Katara had told him that she had no secrets from him.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I always feel bad because Mai gets bored of all the firelord stuff." Zuko answered in an understanding tone.

"Really? I always thought she seemed like the type to enjoy palace life and all that." Katara said, surprised.

"She does. But she likes traveling too, and even though it doesn't always seem like it if you don't know her well, she doesn't actually like to be alone. So I try to keep her company as much as I can." Aang dangled his legs off the edge of the railing, maybe this wasn't as exciting as he'd thought. They weren't talking about him anymore, so perhaps he'd just go wait by the river. He was sure she'd be out in a few minutes anyways. But then Katara spoke again, and he couldn't help but listen.

"That's really nice of you. I know I've apologized already…but I really am sorry about before, when I was so reluctant to forgive you. It shouldn't have taken that stupid revenge trip for you to gain my trust. You really are a good guy." Aang could hear a smile in Zuko's voice when he answered.

"It's alright. You had good reason to be defensive. But I've actually been wondering for a while…that guy who was the leader of the Southern Raiders, not Yan Rah, but the guy who took his place, what did you do to him to make him…move like that? I've never seen that before." Aang pulled his legs back up. Make him move? Aang's first thought was Hama and the bloodbending. But Katara wouldn't. She'd been so upset and ashamed…she wouldn't possibly use those dark abilities again, would she? It didn't make any sense.

"O-oh. It's actually…not something I like to talk about." She answered, and Aang felt as though he had been kicked in the gut. It _had _to be bloodbending. Katara was brimming with pride for all of her other waterbending abilities and talents. Part of him wanted to run far away now, so that he wouldn't have to hear anymore. He couldn't bear to think of Katara hurting people. But another part forced him to stay rooted to the spot in a sort of horrified fascination, and he didn't move.

"But you did it. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I know there's a lot in my past that I'm ashamed of, and even though I never thought it would before, talking about it actually made me feel better." There was a pause in which Aang realized his mouth was unusually dry. He licked his lips, listening closely.

"Well, okay. Before you joined us, we were traveling through the Fire Nation, and we came across this old lady who let us stay in her inn. Her name was Hama and she was from the Southern Water Tribe. She was a waterbender who had been captured in a fire nation raid a long time ago, but had managed to escape prison. She offered to teach me what she knew about waterbending, and I learned a lot of useful things; like how to draw water from the air and from plants. But she also tried to teach me how to bend…people's blood. I didn't want to at first, but she tried to use her powers to make Sokka kill Aang with his sword. I loved Aang, even back then, and before I could even think, I…used bloodbending to make her stop, to protect him. There might have been another way, but I was too scared to think. I promised myself I'd never use it again after that…but I did, on the leader of the Southern Raiders that night, even though I wasn't completely sure he was the one. I was going to kill him that way, but-"

"You used bloodbending to try and kill someone?" Both Katara and Zuko jumped at the unexpected interruption, shocked to see none but Aang standing in the doorway, looking equally as shocked. But also…hurt, betrayed and…angry? It was rare, especially now that the stress of war was behind them, to see the avatar in anything but a pleasant mood.

"No, Aang, you didn't let me finish!" Katara said, her voice high pitched in panic. This was wrong, all wrong. Aang wasn't supposed to have heard that. Aang was supposed to be content with the knowledge that she'd spared the man who'd killed her mother, wasn't supposed to know that she'd used her darkest powers to hurt an innocent person out of the bloodthirsty desire for revenge.

"I don't need to. I can't believe you would do something like that Katara! I thought you'd thought about what I'd said about revenge, I thought you cared about always thinking things through before you tried to hurt somebody, I…I…" Aang found himself speechless, he couldn't bring himself to continue. It hurt too much to think of his Katara this way. Before he stormed the room however, he dropped the bouquet of flowers he'd been carrying unceremoniously on the floor. Tears gathered in Katara's eyes, as she knelt before the spilled blossoms, gathering them into her arms in despair.

"Katara, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Zuko started to apologize, feeling mortified, but it was too late. Katara had run out after Aang, several flower petals scattered down the hallway. This had been his fault. If he hadn't asked her about it, Aang wouldn't have heard and their evening wouldn't be ruined, the one evening in weeks they'd had to spend alone together.

"Agh! Why do I always ruin things when all I'm trying to do is help?" He yelled to no one, only to get an unexpected response.

"That one wasn't your fault, firepants." Where Katara had been just moments ago, Toph stood in the doorframe, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"What are you doing here?" He said, sounding surprisingly less harsh than he'd expected himself to.

"I kind of couldn't help but hear the yelling. Twinkletoes doesn't get angry a lot, so it's kind of hard to miss." If there was one thing aside from her impeccable earthbending ability that amazed Zuko about Toph, it was her ability to act completely nonchalant in even the tensest situations. It was though, he had to admit to himself, somewhat relaxing if not even comforting to hear a voice of reason in the face of chaos. So, he forced himself to take a deep breath and listen. She, he'd come to realize, often had impressive insight and even wisdom for her age.

"I heard the whole thing. You were only trying to help Katara, and she just wanted someone to talk to. I could tell she'd be kind of afraid to tell something like that to Aang because she's afraid of him judging her for things like that." Toph entered the room fully to stand next to Zuko.

"Afraid of him judging her?" He questioned.

"That doesn't make any sense. Aang's the most accepting person I can think of. And doesn't she trust him more than anyone? I thought Aang already knew about what happened anyways." Toph snorted.

"She does trust him. But those two have been trying so hard to impress each other that I don't know how they keep going since I first met them. Think about it. Aang thinks Katara's like, some kind of goddess, but at the same time, he worships the belief that forgiveness, compassion, and pacifism are always the right way. And when those two things don't match up for him, he gets upset. Katara's on this pedestal to him. He thinks she's perfect, so it hurts him when she does something that to him, seems cruel. It might also be scary to him because she's always so gentle and caring to him, and he doesn't like anything to mess with that image he has of her. Therefore, she doesn't want to put him through that. But you're right, they're so close it would probably be impossible for her to keep it a secret forever. It would've come out at some point, so you shouldn't feel bad." If he wasn't before, Zuko was impressed now. Toph was twelve years old and had never, as far as he knew, been romantically involved with anyone, and yet she was able to dissect Aang and Katara's situation so easily in a way that made perfect sense.

"Wow." He said.

"You do know what you're talking about."

"Hey, I've been hanging around these guys for what? A year now? I have learned something." She shrugged easily, blinking her sightless eyes.

"But…she just ran off so suddenly. You don't think she'll at least be mad at me?" He asked.

"Nah." Toph replied.

"That's what Katara does, follow Twinkletoes. Those two are inseparable. Sometimes I think they'd die of a stroke or something if they _didn't_ go after each other like that." Zuko smiled.

"So you think they'll be okay?"

"I guarantee it."

Katara ran, panting, down the path that went to the river. She couldn't see Aang, but every now and then she'd hear twigs snapping, and she silently cursed herself for not being as quick as the airbender. What if he didn't even let her explain? Oh, why had she used that stupid bloodbending technique in the first place? Why couldn't she just have kept her promise to herself and been what Aang wanted her to be? Aang was right, he always was. She stopped running suddenly, seeing the shadow of his familiar shape in the darkness, crouched next to the running water.

"Aang, I'm sorry, I-" She started, kneeling next to him and touching his back.

"You said you'd changed your mind." He growled. Katara flinched, the tears that had dried during her run coming back at the harshness of his voice. Aang never spoke to her this way. Aang was always so gentle and reverent when he addressed her, so fond and caring.

"I did, Aang. I didn't kill anyone. When I was about to throw ice daggers at the man who did it I thought of you and-"

"Oh, when you were already about to kill him, huh? When you were ready to take someone's life, knowing how much it hurt you when your mother was killed, knowing that you'd be doing the same thing to another family? Oh, and all after you used bloodbending on some guy that turned out to be innocent after all. What did you say after that? "oops, sorry I controlled you and twisted you around like a puppet! Sorry I used a cruel, dark, evil technique out of my own bloodthirstiness?" I thought you'd learned that lesson after you saw the monster Hama had become." Aang raised his voice now, turning to look at her with tears streaming angrily from his own eyes. For a second though, he looked as though he wished he could have eaten his words right then and there. Never, ever, had he yelled at Katara. But it was too late. The words had punctured a very deep, sensitive spot inside of the waterbender. Normally, she could be thick skinned about things that were meant to hurt, but not from Aang, not from the one who meant so much to her and was supposed to love her. The shock from the anger his words carried caused her to pause for a long moment. She was torn. Part of her wanted to just cry and run away as quickly as she could, but another part entirely dominated that primitive urge.

"I said I was sorry okay! What else do you want me to do? You did change my mind. I didn't kill anybody. I didn't even injure those men! Yes, I know I showed bad judgment that day and I shouldn't have gone out in the first place. But I thought you of all people would understand! You always talk about forgiveness and mercy, but now, you're yelling at me and insulting me even though girlfriends and boyfriends are supposed to be the easiest people to forgive! Sometimes- sometimes you can be such a self-righteous hypocrite!" She screamed, her voice louder than Aang's, the shrillness assaulting his ears and making him feel queasy. And then, a slap. A cold water whip lashed him across the face, causing him to cry out, perhaps more in surprise than pain as the whip left a smarting red mark on his face. Suddenly, it was almost as though he could see bits and pieces of himself falling into a great, dark abyss made up of all the nasty thoughts and insults Katara must have stored for him. For the first time, the silence between them was not of friendship or comfort. It was one of hurt, betrayal. Both of their faces were tear-streaked, both pairs of eyes burning with anger and fear. What had he done? Aang noticed the bouquet of flowers beside his girlfriend, blossoms turned into the dirt. And suddenly, he realized that the swelling feeling in his stomach was guilt. Guilt at insulting the one he loved, at doubting her faith in him, guilt, at running from her when they should have just talked out their differences, guilt, at being so blindly hypocritical. And hurt. Katara, the one who always stood by him and loved him had just intentionally hurt him. But she didn't run. Instead, she sat there, shaking, in anger or shock he couldn't tell, but she was sobbing softly, not meeting his eyes. Then, she looked at him. At the red mark that still felt strangely wet, at the tears in his eyes and the furrow on his forehead.

"…Aang…" Her voice was suddenly so much smaller, meek, even.

"I'm so-" Aang stopped her though, putting his hands in front of him and shaking his head.

"Don't. I'm the one who should be sorry. You were completely right, I should have forgiven you, I am a hypocrite." He sighed, brushing at his eyes. He had no right to be crying. Katara had been the one who had been cruelly mocked, her very sense of integrity challenged.

"Aang, no…no. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, I-I shouldn't have hurt you. I should've just shut up. Girlfriends aren't supposed to insult their boyfriends, or hit them, ever. Or keep secrets from them." She was still shaking, her heart beating too fast, the adrenaline not wearing off. The look on Aang's face was enough to make her start to cry all over again. He looked so confused, scared, and she realized that she must have the exact same expression. It was terrifying. Neither of them was familiar with this. What were you supposed to say when you'd just insulted the love of your life? Katara didn't have the faintest idea, but she knew that the answer couldn't possibly be to sit and stare blankly at them, hoping for something to change. So instead, she bended a small ball of water from the river and raised her hand to Aang's face, more tears falling from her eyes when he initially flinched away from her touch. The damage had been done. Regardless, she cupped his face carefully, reverently in both hands, stroking his uninjured cheek with her thumb as she healed the other one, feeling his tears fall into her palms. She kept her hands against his face longer than necessary, only bending the water back into the stream when he met her eyes, his own finally showing some of their original softness. Then, before she could even settle back into a comfortable position, he pulled her firmly against him, pressing her to his chest and resting his cheek atop her head. She trembled slightly in the embrace, turning her face into his shirt and sobbing as she brought her own arms around his back. His hands found their way into her hair, stroking the soft, brown locks.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.  
"I know." Katara sniffed deeply.

"I know, I'm sorry too. I love you, Aang…I didn't mean any of that." Her voice was slightly muffled in his chest, but the words were heartfelt, and Aang could tell. His stomach still ached slightly, but he could feel the internal wound just beginning to close, even if he didn't know when it would heal completely.

"It's okay, Katara. I love you too, so much." He clutched her close, the bitterness gone from his tongue. Suddenly, he felt exhausted. Still, he kept his eyes open, swaying slightly as he held Katara under the night sky.

"I picked you flowers…" He murmured.

"I know. Thanks." She pulled back to look him in the eyes and smiled weakly. It was different now, though. There was something in that stare that had changed, something that neither of them was proud to look at, but also something that no amount of sorrys could undo. The two benders lay down side by side, and Katara reached tentatively for Aang. He took her hand, stroking the back of it softly with his thumb until she fell asleep.

* * *

"Where are they?" Sokka asked frantically, pacing across the room.  
"I knew she went out with Aang last night, but she said she'd be back!"

"I think I know where they are. I'll go look." Zuko volunteered. Toph smiled slightly, waving as he left through the front door. At the end of the river path, the firebender took special care to be quiet, and when he reached the banks, stopped. Sure enough lying in the sand were Aang and Katara. The former was curled protectively around his girlfriend, his chest pressing against her back and his arm resting gently around her waist. Zuko couldn't help but smile. _You know, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just go back and tell Sokka I couldn't find them._


	32. Tenzin

**A/N: Okay, so remember that last chapter about how Vista ate my chapter? Yeah, nevermind ^^. At first I was really upset because this was SO friggin long. But then I was like "You know what? just because word is evil, doesn't mean it has to affect my lovely reviewers" so I rewrote it all just for you guys so you could have your Tuesday update :D. (Well, that's a tiny exaggeration, 4 of 7 pages were saved from an unfinished version that I did find, so I just had to rewrite the last three, BUT STILL!) Anyways, here it is. I'm sorry if it's a little redundant because I did write something a little similar before, but I thought this was better because I think my writing from back in the day wasn't as good and blah blah blah. What I said last chatper about requests still stands, so review! (especially cuz I worked extra hard this evening, sacrificing my AP Russian homework JUST for this update, just so you know ;))**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**It was at long last, almost time. After eight and half long months, Aang and Katara were flying back to the Southern Air Temple so that she could give birth to their first child in the company of her grandmother, who had years of experience in the field, and was thus most trusted by her granddaughter. They had both spent the past four months in Ba Sing Se, as Aang had had business to attend to and despite her condition, Katara had insisted on coming along. Now, she sat beside Aang at the reigns, snuggled close to him and leaning her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and breathed a long sigh. She didn't want to admit it to Aang as she didn't want him to worry, but she did not feel well. She felt oddly clammy, despite the fact that she was more than used to the cold, snowy conditions of the Southern Water Tribe's late fall weather that they were currently flying through. The snow had started half an hour ago, and the only warmth Katara felt was where her body touched Aang's, and deep within her womb. She knew somewhere inside of her that they had left too late. This, she understood was the beginning of their child coming into the world. Of her giving Aang what he wanted more than anything. And so she ignored the slight cramping of her abdomen, the feeling that all of the blood in her body had pooled in that area, leaving the rest of her rather numb, and the headache that pulsed in her temples. Because Aang was too happy. Too set on the fact that everything was going to be perfect and that they had nothing to worry about. She hadn't told him how scared she was. She was of course, eager to welcome their child into the world, and she understood that no matter what, she would never be left alone to be a mother all by herself, but that didn't stop the primitive, instinctive fear that something would go wrong. She was afraid that-

* * *

"Oh…" She gasped suddenly, an abrupt surge of pain seizing her lower belly.

"Aang…" It was the first word that came to her lips in times of desperation or pain, and suddenly, she felt as though the balloon inside of her had finally popped as a gush of fluid spread over the underside of her parka. She bended it away frantically, as if doing so would stop what she now knew without a shadow of a doubt was coming. But it was too late. Next to her, Aang's eyes widened.

"Now?" He asked, alarmed. Katara bit her lip and nodded, feeling tears bead under her eyelids as another cramp took a cruel, iron fisted grip on her abdomen, setting every nerve on fire. She looked up, seeing her own pain reflected in Aang's eyes. This would be nearly as difficult for him as it would for her. But he tried not to show it for her sake. He knew that look on her face all too well. The one she only showed to him, the one that told him that she needed him to be strong for her and carry her for a little while while she found her strength. So he took her into his arms and in a single leap, landed both of them into the bison's saddle

"It'll be okay." He told her.

"Appa knows how to get home. We'll be there soon. Just um…" In truth, he hadn't the faintest idea what he was supposed to do. She lay down, easing her head onto his lap and closing her eyes, trying to focus on breathing. She had to stay calm. Despite the fact that her first child was on its way and they were thousands of feet in the air, miles away from their destination in the middle of a snow storm.

"A-ah…" She gasped again, lips quivering with the pain that seemed to increase with each contraction. Aang stroked her hair as she released a shaky sob, and he remembered with painful clarity the feeling of complete helplessness. There was nothing he hated more than seeing the one he loved most suffer and being powerless to stop it. He'd known this was coming, logically. He understood that it was near impossible to bring a life into the world without pain, but nothing could ever prepare him for seeing his beloved Katara hurting. So he took one of her hands in both of his own in a silent promise to her that he would do all he could to help her and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

"Soon." He told her.  
"Don't worry, Katara. We'll get you there. I won't leave you, I promise." She nodded tearfully, snow settling in her hair and lashes. The pain got progressively worse throughout the hour that followed, and Aang felt it through the moans she released and the shaky sobs. Just when she felt she could bear it no longer though, Appa began to descend into the clouds, drenching his fur and his riders with their moisture. Aang, still supporting his wife in his lap, bended them both dry.

"Almost there." He whispered to her, stroking her hair, which was now moist with sweat. She closed her eyes and sighed his name, lips quivering. Each vocalization of pain was like a sharp prod in the heart to her husband, and he was glad when they at last touched ground to be greeted by Kanna and Suki.

"We were wondering where you guys were! How's…" Suki trailed off when Aang hopped off of the saddle, Katara in his arms rather than on her feet.

"Ohhh." Her eyes widened in realization.

"Bring her inside." Kanna ordered, leading the way into Aangs old home. He followed her quickly, flashing Katara a reassuring smile and trying to take care not to jostle her too much, wanting to spare her as much pain as he could. Kanna led him into a room not too far into the temple, where he laid Katara on the bed at the far end. Her grandmother, looking both concerned and loving, helped the mother to be out of her parka and the thick pants she wore under her robe to prepare for the birth.

"Thanks Gran Gran." She managed through her pain. The elderly woman smiled tearfully and embraced her granddaughter, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Aang suddenly felt rather timid and out of place, surrounded by women who clearly knew what they were doing and being the cause of this whole situation with no idea how to help.

"It seems like only yesterday your mother gave birth to you, my little waterbender." Kanna said fondly. Katara managed a weak smile.

"When'd she go into labor?" Suki asked Aang, stepping away from the bed to give the two water tribe women some privacy.

"While we were flying here on Appa. We thought we left early enough because she wasn't due for another week, but then her water broke and…" Aang trailed off, gesturing to his wife. Suki nodded.

"How long?" She inquired.

"Ummm…" Aang scratched the back of his head. He'd been too focused on trying to keep Katara comfortable to note how long ago she'd gone into labor.

"Three hours I guess. But I mean, it was probably before her water broke, she seemed kind of uncomfortable even before that."

"Aang…" A pained gasp from Katara interrupted the conversation. Kanna beckoned them both over, standing aside so that Aang could take his wife's hand. Some of the tenseness left her body at her husband's touch.  
"Don't go." She pleaded desperately.

"Please…this hurts so much." Aang knelt beside her, caressing her cheek tenderly.

"I know." He whispered.

"I know, Katara. But you can do this, you're so strong, I know you can. Think of our baby." Only half of her seemed to hear his words.

"How much longer?" She asked, whimpering slightly through another contraction.

"Several hours yet, my dear." Kanna answered. Katara moaned in reply, grinding her teeth. _Never again._ She thought privately, though of course, she knew she wouldn't follow through with those words. No, despite the pain, she would bear more of Aang's children. The contraction that gripped her abdomen at last released, allowing her to draw a shaky breath, tears stinging her eyes.

"Aang." She looked beseechingly at her husband as if expecting him to take away the pain. Her blue eyes shone with agony.

"I need you. Oh…spirits…" She grimaced as the next, and strongest contraction yet ravaged her body, tearing her apart on the inside. This time, she cried out in pain, causing her grandmother to frown in concern and Aang to wince. Regardless, he sensed his wife's need for comfort and climbed into the bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her from behind as she still lay curled on her side, not yet far along enough for the actual delivery. She released a shuddering sob when the contraction ended, prompting Aang to reach over to stroke the back of her hand.  
"You're doing great." He encouraged, trying his hardest to give her his strength. If he could have, he would have taken all the pain for her.

"Aang's right." Suki gave her a reassuring smile, wiping her forehead with a damp cloth.

"You're actually making really fast progress for your first time. Do you want to try walking?" She didn't. But Katara knew from her own experience in delivering babies that walking sped up the labor process. And right now, all she wanted was for this to be over with. So she set her jaw in determination and nodded, prompting Aang to push himself off of the bed to help her up. She took a deep, shaky breath, pushing herself into a sitting position and wincing, placing both hands on her swollen belly. She looked up, seeing Aang, Suki, Gran Gran, all there and ready to support her. She grasped her husband's extended hand, pulling herself up with a sharp gasp of pain.

"I've got you." Aang told her gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and allowing her to lean against him for support.

"It'll be okay." Suki assisted her friend from the other side, and together, they began to walk towards the opposite end of the room, taking deliberately slow, small, steps.

"Sokka and Toph are here too." The warrior said, trying to distract Katara, if only temporarily, from the pain.

"Where?" She asked feebly.

"I'm not sure. But once they see Appa, they might come to say hi and meet the baby." Suki smiled.

"Yeah, if I manage to have it alive…" Katara answered darkly, wobbling with each step. Suki laughed.

"Of course you will. Like I said, you're doing really well. I know it hurts, but it'll be over before you know it." She assured. Aang suddenly found himself very thankful for the older warrior's presence. Though he would always be willing to do anything in his power to comfort and sooth his wife, he knew little to nothing about childbirth and was thus limited in what he could do. Ironically, just as they reached the door to the room, Katara fell heavily against him with another gasp of pain.

"Ohhh." She moaned, her breathing becoming irregular and heavy again.

"Do you need to sit?" When Katara answered only in another groan, Aang lowered both of them into a crouching position, allowing her to fall between his legs and against his chest as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"Shhh." He whispered, stroking her hair.

"Breathe with me." She obeyed, taking a deep breath to match her husband's despite the powerful urge to scream. Suddenly, there was so much pressure, as though she was being torn in half from the inside and her hip bones would crack with the force of it.

"Aang…" She gasped.

"Oh Aang…I can't…I can't do this." She whimpered, overwhelmed. She could no longer control the pain. It was too much, much too much. She hadn't even known it was possible to hurt so badly.

"Yes, you can. I promise, you can." Aang held her tightly, trying with all his might to provide all the comfort and closeness he could. She didn't reply, only grit her teeth in pain, shoulders slumping in exhaustion when the contraction left its iron clamp grip on her insides. But the pressure didn't go away.

"Do you want to go back or keep walking?" Suki asked, placing her hand tenderly on her friend's lower back. Katara sighed deeply and to Aang's surprise, stood on her own.

"I can walk." Nearly half an hour later, Aang and Suki supported the mother to be back to the bed after at last encountering Sokka and Toph. Sokka had gotten rather squeamish (though Suki and Toph both suspected a bigger part of it was that the older brother inside of him still couldn't bear to see his sister in this much pain) and decided to sit out until his niece or nephew was born, and Toph had agreed to keep him company, knowing that everything Katara really needed was already being provided for. Within the next hour, the pain continued to worsen, Katara screaming where she had previously only gasped or moaned, lying on her back.

"You're almost there, Katara. With the next contraction, I want you to push." Kanna instructed, removing a soft hand from her granddaughter's abdomen. She nodded, her grip on Aang's hand tightening as she braced herself. The contractions were only moments apart now, each one causing almost visible ripples on her belly. With the next front of pain that seized her, the waterbender bore down with all of her strength, gritting her teeth and squeezing Aang's hand as tightly as she could. She fell back, panting with exertion and frustration, several sweaty strands of hair falling before her eyes.

"I don't feel anything." She whimpered.

"I know. It's gonna take a couple of these to get the baby's head down, but you can do it. Catch your breath and try again." Suki encouraged as Aang gently wiped the sweat from her face with the damp cloth. She closed her eyes, sighing.

"I love you." He told her gently.

"Don't worry, I'm here. We can do this together, for our baby." Katara nodded, gritting her teeth in determination as she braced herself for what she knew would be the most difficult part of this yet. Half an hour later, Katara was exhausted and frustrated, and felt sure she would split in half if this didn't end now.

"The head's there, you're so close." Suki told her, smiling. Aang squeezed her hand

"I know you can do this." His heart was hammering now. In a few minutes, this would all be over, Katara wouldn't hurt anymore. In a few minutes, he would be a father. In a few minutes, he might no longer be the last airbender. Katara sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"One, two, three, push!" She barely heard Suki this time, for a current of pain ripped through her, tearing her apart from the inside. Then, the pain began to fade much more quickly than it had come on, as did the rest of the world. She was only vaguely aware of Aang stroking her hair and his soft voice murmuring something that sounded comforting before her grip on reality faded.

Katara woke from a dreamless sleep some time later, realizing with a wince that she was more sore than she could ever remember being in her whole life. But compared to the pain of several hours before, it was nothing. _Wait._ She allowed her blurry gaze to focus, her eyes settling on Aang, who sat comfortably on the edge of the bed so as to give her space with his back to her.

"Aang…" As she spoke, she suddenly realized that she was in fact, very thirsty, her voice hoarse from screaming. But all thoughts of water disappeared from her mind when her husband turned around, revealing a visage streaked with tears and a much smaller, much redder face with dark hair and closed eyes. Katara felt her breath leave her lungs, a strange recognition registering somewhere deep inside the part of her mind that was run only by instinct.

"We have a son…" Aang told her, extending his arms to offer her the bundle to hold. The warm weight of the baby was something Katara knew she could instantly get used to. A wave of tenderness washed over her, an affection so strong it brought tears to her eyes as well. The only feeling she could possibly compare this to was the feeling she'd had upon freeing Aang from the iceberg. The feeling of not knowing something at all, but instantly knowing that she would cherish and love it. Only, this was different. Aang was her husband, her only love, and this was their child, a little bit of both of them that they would love and care for together. For just a moment, the infant's eyes opened, revealing a familiar shade of gray and a gaze unfocussed but still fixed on his mother.

"Welcome to the world, little one." Katara greeted, tenderly stroking the baby's cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"He has your eyes…" She breathed to Aang, who had moved into the bed next to her, putting one hand on her shoulder and the other on the back of his son's head.

"I dunno…most babies are born with gray eyes, so it might change. But…he is like me in one way." He admitted.

"What, he makes you fall in love with him at first sight?" Katara only partly joked, giving her husband a fond smile. He returned it, gaze radiating with warmth and pride. In fact, Katara didn't know if she'd ever seen him so happy.

"Well, I would say he gets that more from you." He answered.

"But, he's an airbender."  
"Aang, that's great! How do you know?" Katara questioned, some of the tiredness leaving for just that one moment. Could she really have just given birth to the first airbender in over a hundred years? Certainly, she'd known it was a possibility with Aang as the father, but none of this had seemed completely real until now.

"When I first held him, I went into the spirit world for just a minute. Not on purpose…it just sort of happened. Roku summoned me I guess, because he told me." Katara beamed and reached up to kiss Aang on the lips.

"That's incredible. You're not the last airbender anymore." Aang nodded.

"It is. But even if he weren't…I'd still love both of you more than anything. He does need a name though." Katara sat up slightly.

"You're right…I can't believe we almost forgot about that." She laughed tiredly.

"I was going to mention it, but I just sorta got too excited about everything else when I saw that you were up, oops." Aang grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well…since he is the first airbender in a hundred and eighteen years, how about you name him?" The waterbender suggested, shifting the baby in her arms.

"Really?" Katara nodded, tilting the bundle towards her husband. He thought for a moment.

"Tenzin." He said after a pause.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect." Katara smiled. Suki had been entirely right, she realized. Despite all the pain and anxiety, this had all been so worth it.

"Aang, can we come in?" The warrior's voice sounded on the other side of the door as if on cue, followed by a soft knock.

"Sure." Katara answered for her husband and Suki, Kanna, Toph and Sokka all stepped into the room one by one to gather around the bed.

"Awwwww." Sokka was the first to speak.

"Aren't you guys the perfect little family?" Normally, such a remark would have carried a hint of sarcasm, but this time Sokka meant it. They did in fact, look perfect. Aang curled proudly but protectively around Katara, the new mother who was in turn cradling their newborn infant, both parents glowing with pride and love for the family that had only just begun to grow.

"Congratulations Katara, and Aang. I consider myself very lucky to have been blessed enough to see my first great grandchild." Kanna smiled gently.

"Yeah, congrats." Toph added, her pale green eyes for once soft and sincere.

"Do you wanna hold him?" Katara offered, extending the small bundle to her friend. Her unseeing eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked, her tone uncharacteristically surprised. Katara pretended not to notice, knowing that Toph's experience with tender family moments was limited.

"Of course." She deposited her child into the earthbender's arms. Toph smiled, and in an even rarer display of emotion spoke.

"I really do wish I could see him like you guys can. But from what I can tell, Sokka's right, you guys are the perfect family. He's…really cute. And I can tell that you guys'll be great parents." For once, it was obvious that Toph was sincerely touched by the scene before her and by the fragile, trusting child she held in her arms. Tenzin raised his arms just slightly in the direction of his face before yawning and settling back down.

"Thanks Toph, that means a lot." Katara replied softly. To her mild surprise, Toph didn't look awkward holding the child. Though it wasn't a completely natural picture, it was definitely one that still seemed fitting in a way.

"Does he have a name?" Her friend asked curiously.

"Tenzin. He's an airbender." Aang answered, unable to keep from beaming.

"Whoa, way to go twinkletoes!" Toph exclaimed.

"That is pretty cool." Sokka added as the younger woman passed him his nephew.  
"Hey little guy." He said.

"I'm your uncle Sokka, and I'm even cooler than your parents." Katara glared, the tender expression on her face fading for just a moment.

"Sokka!" She exclaimed. Kanna chuckled. Some things, she thought to herself, never did change.

"I'm kidding! Jeeze. But really. Could the kid ask for a funner uncle?"

"More fun." Aang hid his correction in a false cough, and everyone laughed.

"Fine." Sokka passed Tenzin back to his father.

"It's okay, Sokka, you're right, he does have a pretty fun uncle. Actually, a pretty fun family all around." The airbender said amicably, wanting to preserve the tenderness and joy of the moment.

"One thing's for sure, he'll never be bored." Suki smiled.

"But I think we should all let Katara and Tenzin get some rest. They're probably really tired." The other four agreed, Kanna kissing her granddaughter on the forehead before following the friends out of the room.

"Suki's right." Aang said gently when the door closed, running a hand through Katara's hair.

"You should try and sleep. I'll watch him." Katara rolled onto her side, laying her head down.

"Aang?"

"Hm?"

"Have I ever told you that I love you more than anything?" She questioned sincerely. Aang beamed at her.

"You might have mentioned it."

"I just wanted to say thanks for giving me all of this. Now I have two boys to love more than anything…" She stopped to lean over and kiss Tenzin's soft forehead.

"And you stayed strong for me even when things got really hard today. I can't ever thank you enough for that."

"You've done more than enough Katara, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here, remember? I owe you everything for that. And I love you for more reasons than I can even count. You deserve everything I could possibly give you. And right now, that's rest." Aang murmured fondly.

"Mmm." Katara hummed contentedly.

"Alright. Just promise to be here when I wake up."


	33. Return

**A/N: First of all, I'm really sorry this is two days late. But I do have a good reason. If you haven't already noticed with other stories, Fanfiction has a glitchy thing going on right now that makes it impossible to update your stories normally. Thanks to the lovely Singer of Time though,Ifound a glitch within the glitch that let me put this up =]. So I hope it was worth the wait. This one is for ShockingRevelation (again) and the next will be Private LL Church's request :). And then maybe another one for ShockingRevelation. I think the length will probably start consistently being about this long...I just keep going with a lot of these ideas and write a whole lot x). But it's fun. Thanks so much to everyone who gave me all the nice reviews of last chapter! I'm glad it was so well liked. You guys are the best, =]. I hope you all like this one too.**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

* * *

"Watcha thinking about, dad?" He almost jumped as a small gust of air and a familiar, curious voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Grown up stuff, Tenzin." He answered, turning to face his son. Everybody told him that younger airbender looked just like him, but when Aang looked at him, he couldn't help but see Katara in his features, even if it was only a slight resemblance. Tenzin pouted.

"Awww, common. You always make me tell you what I'm thinking about." He whined. Aang smiled.

"It's really mushy." He warned. Tenzin made a face.

"Eww, dad, why?" He wondered aloud. His father chuckled.

"Because I love mom _so _much." He was smirking now, watching his son's face wrinkle in disgust.

"I just can't stop thinking about how beautiful she is and how much I want to kiss her and-"

"Ew, Dad, gross, gross! Stop!" Tenzin exclaimed, jumping backward with a slight gust of wind. Now, Aang broke into laughter, thoroughly amused by his son's disgusted reaction.

"Awww, come on, Tenzin. You know you wouldn't be here if-"

"I know, I know, I know!" The ten year old's face turned red, recalling the talk his parents had given him two to three years ago concerning how his mother's belly had grown so big before Kya was born. Aang finished laughing, sighing.

"Someday you'll meet someone that makes you feel that way too." He said, smiling fondly.

"Yeah, but not for a looooong time." The young airbender answered stubbornly. Aang shrugged.

"You never know. I fell in love with mom fifteen years ago, and then I married her five years later and you were born." He explained. Tenzin looked more serious now, sensing that his father was getting somewhere important.

"So, to answer your question, I'm just trying to think of what I should do for your mom in a week to celebrate being married for ten years." Tenzin's eyes widened in realization.

"Ohhh." He said.

"Like when Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki or Zuko and Mai take care of us while you and mom are gone every year." Aang nodded, smiling wistfully.

"That's right. Every year mom and I try to do something special with each other to celebrate. And this time is extra special because ten years is a big milestone. We need to think of something extra special to do for your birthday in nine months too." At this, Tenzin grinned.

"Really? Cool!" He exclaimed.

"It will be cool." Aang affirmed, tapping Tenzin on the nose. "I promise. I just don't know what kind of cool thing I could do for mom right now." He sighed. Tenzin looked up at his father and suddenly felt sorry for calling his parents gross. He was young, but he knew they loved each other and how much the other's happiness meant to them.

"Mom thinks your cool no matter what you do. She always smiles when she talks about you." He said helpfully. Aang couldn't help but smile. Before his children had come into the world, he hadn't believed it possible to love anyone as much as he loved Katara. But now, he knew that the love he had for her was equal, albeit different, to the love he had for their growing family. It was moments like these that his son also reminded him perhaps most intensely of Katara, putting aside his own personal preferences for conversation just to try and make someone else feel better.

"And we both think you're pretty cool." He ruffled Tenzin's hair, causing the boy to laugh and playfully duck away from his father.

"Wait, I know!" He announced suddenly, gray eyes brightening.

"Mom told Hanami and Kya this story once, about you guys getting stuck in a crystal cave thingy and…" He stopped here, avoiding the word "kissing." Aang, however, beamed.

"The Cave of Two Lovers!" He exclaimed with renewed enthusiasm. "You're right, Tenzin, that's a great idea!" He jumped off of his feet.

"How long will you be gone?" His son asked.

"Maybe a little less than a week. Omashu's on the other side of the Earth Kingdom." Currently, Aang's family was staying with him in Ba Sing Se. Due to both to his duties as the avatar and his nomadic culture, Aang had several homes around the world, one in the Southern Air Temple of course, one in the Fire Lord's palace, one in the Northern Water Tribe and one in Ba Sing Se. Of all of them, The Southern Air Temple was the family's base, where they always returned to stay the longest. "Uncle Sokka will stay here with you guys." His mind was already whirring away at a plan now, wishing that next week would already be here. "Thanks, Tenzin."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Mom gonna be pregnant again when you come back?" Aang was glad it was dark so his son wouldn't see the slight color in his cheeks.

"I can't make any promises, buddy. But we'll see."

"Aang, where are we going?" Katara's tone was a combination of irritation and impatience, causing her husband to flinch slightly.

"You'll see!" Ten minutes ago when Appa had begun to approach Omashu, Aang had tied a blindfold around his wife's eyes so as to keep their destination a surprise.

"Why can't I look now? Usually, we plan this anniversary stuff together. I never tell you to put on a blindfold." She pointed out, patience wearing ever thinner.

"Because it's a _surprise._" Aang reminded her for what felt like the millionth time. "Besides." He grinned, "You'd think I was boring if I got all predictable. That's no fun." Katara's annoyed façade briefly threatened to crack and she mentally cursed herself for still being so easily charmed by Aang's humor.

"Believe me, you'll _never_ be predictable." She retorted.

"But you love me anyways." She heard his voice take on a teasing, sing-songy tone as she felt him come closer to her. She bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. For whatever reason, Aang's confidence never came off as egotistical, perhaps because whenever he said things like that his voice always held a strong undercurrent of the utmost fondness. _I do_. She wanted to say, but she couldn't let him win this game.

"We can test that theory when I find out where you're taking me." She answered instead.

"Well, I know that I love you even more than Zuko loves being grumpy. And I also know that we've been married for ten years and we have three kids together. So you know, I like to keep my hopes up." This time, Katara couldn't help but giggle, involuntarily surrendering.

"See!" She could hear the grin in Aang's voice and shook her head mirthfully.

"Zuko seems pretty happy to me lately." She shot back.

"Are you saying that you don't think I love you?" Aang asked, feigning hurt.

"Aang!"

"Okay, okay, we're-" Aang was interrupted by a sudden thud that Katara recognized instinctively as Appa landing. "-here" The airbender finished. He looked back, seeing Katara try to untie her blindfold. But before she could start on the knot, she was scooped up into her husband's arms and then deposited gently onto the ground. She heard the sound of a running river close by, very close by, and then, her blindfold was off. The sun had only just begun to set, she noticed, but the river before them looked eerily familiar. _Very _familiar. She turned, seeing a mountain rising not far from where they had just landed, blocking the horizon. Her eyes widening in recognition, she turned to face Aang, who now looked much less smug than he had sounded on Appa, instead seeming almost…nervous? Katara couldn't help but beam at him.

"What if we…kissed?" She echoed the words she's spoken fifteen years ago, wrapping her arms slyly around her husband's neck.

"Us…kissing?" She recognized a familiar blush rise on his face, felt his heart rate picking up under his shirt.

"Can you imagine that?" Her voice was soft, serious. Aang beamed.

"I think so." He leaned in, and she closed her eyes, feeling the heat of his face approaching hers, waiting for the kiss. But it never came. Instead, she felt a sudden, cold splash soak her dress and hair, and heard Aang's laughter as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She opened her eyes to glower at him, water dripping from her chin.

"That was mean." She said, careful to keep her voice even. Aang stopped laughing after she remained silent for a moment, and then looked worried as she turned her face away from him. Her lip quivered slightly. Aang wanted to kick himself. What had he done? Why was it that he always messed things up here? Was it cursed? How could he have been so stupid?  
"Katara, I'm _so sorry, _I didn't mean-" He reached for her hand, but he was interrupted as a heavy wave of water crashed over him, soaking him from head to toe. When his vision cleared, Katara was standing, perfectly dry, before him, smirking.

"It's on." She said simply. She bended another large wave out of the river and curved it to wrap around her husband, only for him to snap out of his temporary daze to fling the water right back at her, taking the few seconds she took to regain control to strip himself of his shirt, not wanting it to get too wet. He had almost no time to react to what came next, though. Katara had summoned several tendrils of water to wrap around his ankles, causing him to stumble in an attempt to keep his balance. When he was on his feet again, she had waded into the middle of the river, her silken robe cast aside, leaving her in only her undergarments. She laughed as he stood up again, splashing loudly into the river to join her and creating a shield of ice around himself. It lasted only seconds however, as Katara melted it, using the same water to send right to his unguarded center. Just as it was about to hit him however, Katara felt a slender tendril snake around calf, causing her to lose control of the water she commanded in order to stay on her feet.

"You sneaky little…" She was armed now, in her octopus stance, and she heard Aang laugh, but suddenly, he was gone. Looking behind her though, she saw a small bubble rise to the river's surface. She smirked.

"I've got you now." She whispered, whirling around and waiting for him to come up. He was an airbender, but he couldn't stay under forever. Just as she saw him begin to emerge though, a sudden cloud of steam enveloped the entire area around her, obscuring her view and causing her to lose sight of him. She growled slightly in frustration, maintaining her defensive stance to ready herself for his strike.

"Come out." She coaxed in the same sing song voice he'd used to tease her with on Appa. No answer. "Hm…" She sighed. Then, she grinned. "I can't seem to find my dear husband, what a shame. Whatever shall I do all alone with no one to protect me from all the scary things that come out at night? I won't have my big strong earth bender to make me a shelter, or my fire bender to keep me warm if it gets cold. He must've left because I hurt his feelings when I got impatient about getting here. What's a poor girl to do?" She had backed out of the water now, ever so quietly, her voice covering the sound of her footsteps as she made her way out of the cloud of steam. She saw a familiar glow of orange from inside it, but stayed still, waiting for the opportunity she knew would soon come. All was quiet for several minutes, Katara watching the orange patch move carefully around before coming to a stop with a resigned sigh.

"Okay, Katara, you can come out now, I won't attack…" She heard him say.

"I'm right over here." She called out in reply. Aang came splashing towards her, grinning as water dripped from every part of his body. She was almost reluctant to continue their playful spar after that, but she hadn't won yet. Catching him off guard, she tackled him into the sand before he could even realize what was happening, quickly bending a pair of ice cuffs around his wrists to pin him down. She then straddled him, dipping her face down close to his.

"You can't let yourself get distracted so easily, my handsome avatar." She purred into his ear, allowing her fingertips to trace his jaw line lovingly and smiling triumphantly as she pulled back. Aang's gray eyes were wide, his face red.

"Katara…" He groaned longingly.

"Should've just kissed me when you had the chance." She teased, smirking at him. But the look he gave her in response was enough to wipe the smug expression away completely. His eyes were soft, shining with a familiar gleam of affection and the purest love that always pierced deep into her soul when she looked back. _I love you._ Unfreezing his wrists, Katara lowered herself again to Aang's face, this time not hesitating to capture his lips, kissing him fiercely, the way she wished she had when they were here so many years ago. And this was the best way she knew of to make up for it. Aang sat up, taking her with him as they continued their kiss, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist, bringing them closer still. Katara's arms wrapped firmly around her beloved's back, fingertips tracing the tattoo along his spine as his ran through her hair, the other hand cupping her face. He pushed her gently backwards after a moment so that their positions were switched, him on top of her with her back against the soft river sand.

"You know…" Aang said, panting softly when they parted, though their faces remained only inches apart.

"That's what I wanted to do last time we were here. But I wasn't nearly brave enough." Katara only shook her head and smiled, warm faced as she placed one hand on Aang's muscled chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her palm.

"Well, it's a good thing we came back then, isn't it? No one said you can't have a second chance." She gazed at him through half lidded eyes, making him gulp slightly.

"You're…you're right about that." He whispered as craned her neck upwards to kiss his shoulder.

"Come on." She managed to scoot out from under him, taking his hand to help him up.

"I wanna go inside, just for a little, to see." Aang sighed a little at the sudden loss of intimate contact, but smiled nonetheless as they made their way down the banks of the river to the entrance of the cave. Katara looked crestfallen when they reached the entrance.

"Oh yeah." She frowned.

"The fire nation blocked the entrance off, I forgot about that." Aang touched her arm gently.

"That's okay. You forget, my lovely lady, that I happen to be an earth bender." Katara rolled her eyes but couldn't help but giggle slightly as he stepped forward, assuming an earth bending stance and tossing some of the fallen boulders out of the way to make a small entrance that they could fit through. As the sun had now set and neither bender carried a torch this time, the crystals on the ceiling glowed brightly in a single winding path, illuminating the way that both Aang and Katara knew led to the tomb of Oma and Shu. Aang found himself slightly tempted to follow them, but stopped himself.

"I don't think we should go in all the way. It feels like that room should sort of be their place, you know?" Katara nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing." She agreed rather solemnly. Aang smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's okay though. I can still kiss you here." Before she knew it, Aang's lips were against hers again, gentle, soft, loving. His arms wrapped around her still bare waist, and she closed her eyes, caressing the back of his head and neck as their tongues rubbed affectionately against each other.

They parted for air after several long minutes, Aang sighing contentedly as he took both of Katara's hands.

"There. Now I'll be able to sleep at night." He joked. His wife giggled.

"If you remember, we did kiss last time we were here, silly." Aang grinned sheepishly.

"I know. But I was just hoping for so much more afterwards…I fantasized about it all the time. I even dreamed about it. It sorta drove me crazy until I finally did kiss you again." He admitted with slight embarrassment. Katara smiled gently.

"I thought about it a lot too." She confessed. "But it all worked out in the end." She smiled, gesturing to the glowing crystals above them. "And Aang…" She leaned in close to him, whispering in his ear. "This is the most wonderful surprise anyone's ever given me. I wouldn't want my tenth wedding anniversary to be with anyone else." Aang chuckled.

"I wouldn't even want to kiss anyone else." He said to which Katara nodded, affirming the same. "But I'm really glad you like it. You'll never guess who gave me the idea." The waterbender shrugged.

"Sokka?" Aang laughed, shaking his head.

"No, Tenzin." Katara raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" She asked, truly surprised. "Our mister 'ewww, don't kiss in front of me'?" Aang laughed at his wife's surprisingly accurate impersonation of their firstborn, nodding.

"You'd be surprised. Sometimes I think he just says those things because he isn't sure what else to say. I don't think he really minds knowing, or even seeing, at least a little bit, that we love each other." He shrugged.

"Yeah. He's so much like you." Katara stepped away from him, back into the direction from which she'd come.

"I think we should go now though. I don't want the wolf bats to hear us and come out." Aang nodded, and Katara ducked her head slightly to hide her blush. In truth, she couldn't have been less afraid of the wolf bats. It was just that Aang was so close, so warm and far too difficult to resist any longer.

"Watch out." He warned as they approached the small opening they had come in through. The rocks surrounding it were balanced rather precariously atop one another, making it easy to tip just one of them and cause the whole barrier to tumble down, especially in the dark.

"Ow!" Aang hissed suddenly, causing Katara to whip around instinctively in concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I think I just hurt my foot on one of the rocks." She could make out a wince on her husband's face.

"Sit down." She said gently when they were both through and back on the riverbanks. Appa had migrated from his original spot to several feet from where his master was, keeping watch to make sure the Avatar and his wife emerged safely from the cave. Aang obeyed, falling in love again with the tenderness and grace Katara used to bend water from the stream several paces away to heal him with. He watched the glow of the water illuminate her face as she worked, ever in awe at how gentle she was with him. Underneath, she loved him as much as he did her. And spirits, she looked so beautiful in the dim light of the evening, the white-blue glow casting a soft, romantic shadow across her already stunning features.

"Thank you." He whispered when she finished, bending the water back to its original source and raising her eyes slowly to meet his, where they locked together, transfixed. She took both of his hands in her own and lowered her face to their level, kissing his palms and then his fingers and the arrow tattoos on the back.

"Katara…" He breathed. Pausing for just a moment, she smiled at him.

"I just love you so much, Aang." She murmured, and he thought he saw the shine of tears in her deep blue eyes before she continued, moving her lips to travel up his forearm and then to his shoulder, up his neck and jaw to finally meet his mouth. They fell backwards onto the soft sand, Aang bringing her closer. Spirits, he loved her. She was once again above him, straddling his hips and kissing him as though she would never have another chance to do so, and he was returning it with all he had to give. It wasn't long before the kiss was broken, Katara backing away just slightly to look him in the eyes, letting him know without words what she wanted.

"Hold on." He told her, his voice slightly husky. He knew they were essentially secluded, safe from being intruded upon, but it still felt slightly uncomfortable to be doing this in the open. So he stood, forging a small, but roomy earth tent to shelter them.

"Show off." He heard Katara say softly from behind him. He chuckled.

"Oh yeah?" He challenged, quirking an eyebrow, only coming closer.

"Yeah. But you know, I think I kind of like it." His face was only inches away from hers.

"Yeah?" He sounded serious again, he could feel her breath.

"Yeah." He couldn't wait any longer. He kissed her, feeling her tug at the waistband of his pants.

Outside, the last rays of sun disappeared over the horizon, the moon shining over the river as the two benders made love apart from the rest of the world. In Ba Sing Se, all but one of their children slept soundly. Tenzin sat awake at his window, staring at the moon and knowing that somewhere, his parents were happy.


	34. The Night After

**A/N: Sorry this is a little late for Tuesday, guys :/. It's been a busy week for me (I only have 26 school days left in high school) so I didn't have a lot of time to write. Plus, I was sick this weekend and while you would think that's a great time to write, all I really felt like doing was watching TV. BUT, it doesn't matter, the point is, I got it done. I don't really like the ending on this one because it feels a little rushed to me (probably because I only finished it tonight), so I shall try to improve for next chapter, which should be better overall because I have a 3day weekend coming up (thank God). Enjoy!**

* * *

Aang was too far. She tried to warn him, to tell him what was coming, but he was all the way over there and he couldn't hear her and she was too slow. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn't seem to gain on him. He was always too far.

Aang!" She cried, reaching for him.

"Watch out!" He was fighting as hard as he could, unable to see Princess Azula readying to strike him with a deadly blow. Unable to hear her desperate cries.

"Aang! Aang!" She couldn't go through this again, couldn't bear to see him hurt. Blasts of flame were being fired at him mercilessly from all directions, burning his fair skin where he couldn't stop them in time as he tried to protect himself from far too many attackers at once. Katara ran faster as Azula stretched out her arm, lightning crackling at her finger tips.

"No!" Not again, not again. But it was too late. Aang fell, only this time, Katara wasn't close enough to catch him. Still, she ran, watching his body convulse with the electric shock much like Zuko's had. Finally, she reached him, pulling him close to her and touching his face. His eyes were dim with pain, speaking of an agony that no one who hadn't experienced it for themselves could ever imagine.

"Aang, oh no, look at me Aang…." She pleaded, starting to cry before she could even think logically.

"Katara…" He croaked. He was growing warmer in her arms, and she didn't know why.

"Help me, you have to help me." His voice revealed even more pain than his eyes, his face twisting into a grimace.

"I'm trying, hang on Aang." She beseeched, looking around her for water, but there was none to be found. The heat in her arms only grew warmer and he let out a pained groan, breathing growing shallow.

"Hang on…" When she turned her eyes back to him however, they widened with horror. Flames were now licking at the boy's clothes, burning them off of his body and charring his skin. His mouth opened in a scream, and Katara could only echo it, frightened and powerless to stop it.

"Katara, help me!" She tried desperately, but there was no water in the air, none anywhere.

"Aang, Aang, no!" He only continued to burn even as she held him, his screams swallowed in the flames as blackened flesh peeled from his bones. _You weren't there. You left me. Why didn't you help me? You were supposed to care…_ His voice echoed in her head.

* * *

Katara woke, heart thundering. She looked around wildly, finding the covers she slept under suddenly much too warm.

"_Oh spirits."_ Dizzy with the terror of the dream, she stumbled out of bed and out of the room, going to stand by the window that opened into the courtyard. She took a deep, shaky breath and let it out in a soft sob.

Aang peered out from behind his door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, suddenly wide awake when they focused on the figure by the window. _Katara._ He stepped carefully into the hallway, feeling his heart dip into his stomach. She was dressed in a soft peach sleeping robe, and she was crying. _Oh no._ Not for the first time, Aang didn't know what to do. What if this was his fault? What if she was still confused and their kiss on the balcony only hours ago had only been a fluke or a "thank you" kiss? What if she'd just kissed him for the sake of trying it and then decided that she didn't like him after all? And then on the other hand, what if she _wanted _him to go to her?

Aang's indecisive mind was made up for him, however, when he looked up again, seeing Katara's shoulders shake and hearing a soft, gasping sob fall from her lips. His heart gave a tug and he found himself approaching her before he could stop himself, laying a hand on her shoulder in the hope of comforting her. She turned around, blue eyes glistening with tears.

"Are you alright?" Aang asked softly, timidly. He wasn't used to seeing her crying. Certainly, it wasn't the first time, she'd cried after the night with Hama and the night where he'd almost been killed, but it wasn't exactly a common occurrence. She answered him by flinging her arms around him and clutching him tightly, pressing her face into his neck, her tears sliding down his collarbone. Unsure of whether to be flattered, relieved, or even more worried, Aang returned the embrace, relishing the closeness regardless of the reason for it.

"You're okay." She breathed, a shudder passing through her body. Aang nodded uncertainly.  
"I'm fine. I'm…I was worried about you. What's wrong?" Katara closed her eyes, sighing deeply. Never had she thought the sound of Aang's voice was so comforting. She sank to her knees in his embrace, bringing him with her.

"I had a nightmare." She admitted after a moment, deciding that she may as well be truthful. Aang cared for her, wanted to help her.

"What about?" She pulled back, reaching around Aang to brush her fingers over the scar in the middle of his back. He winced slightly, the wound had been reopened during his fight with Ozai, though fortunately nowhere near the severity it had been when he had first gotten it. The skin was rough but tender, and she knew that texture would never change.

"This." She said simply, wiping at her eyes. Aang looked surprised.

"Me?" He paused, then his eyes widened before becoming downcast. "Is this about…" This time when he caught her eye, Katara didn't look away. They needed to talk about this, and she'd known when she'd kissed him that it was only a matter of time. "The…kiss?" She blushed softly through her tears, but suddenly, she'd never wanted to be closer to Aang.

"Sort of….I'm scared." She blurted before she could stop herself, then hastened to explain. "I had a nightmare that you got shot down again. I couldn't run fast enough to warn you, and then I caught you but I couldn't save you. You…you burned up right in front of me and then I heard your voice telling me that I'd let you down." Her shoulders began to shake, and Aang realized in the back of his mind that her arms had goose bumps on them as a cold breeze blew through the open window. The short summer nights were lengthening as fall approached, temperatures dropping.

"I'm fine." He said calmly. "I'm alive, Katara, thanks to you. We won the war, you don't have to be scared." He smiled at her, gray eyes shining reassuringly in the dark, and suddenly, the foot's space between them was far too much. She buried herself into the airbender's arms again, feeling them close around her in the perfect blend of tenderness and strength.

"I know." She admitted. "I just…after I kissed you I thought about what it all meant. You have no idea how hard it was last time, when Azula got you and I didn't know if you'd be okay. I couldn't sleep because I could barely stop watching you and I was so scared. I couldn't stand the thought of you going and without me having a chance to tell you how much I cared about you. And it's so hard to love you so much knowing that no matter how much I want to keep you for myself and never let you put yourself in danger, you still belong to the world and you have to risk your life for it. It's not fair." Her voice picked up speed midway through her speech, and the words tumbled out almost faster than she could form them, mixing with the sound of her weeping. "It's not fair." She repeated. Aang though, would have been happy enough to fly had it not been for the slight guilt accompanying Katara's confession.

"Really?" He asked. Katara flinched.

"You have no idea. But that's my fault too. I shouldn't have told you I was confused…I just wasn't ready to lose you. But that was the stupidest thing I could've said because I'll _never_ be ready to lose you and I still would've loved you even if I hadn't had the chance to tell you."

"Katara…" Aang said seriously, daring to cup her cheek gently, drying the glistening moisture with the pad of his thumb. "You won't lose me. I'd wait a hundred years for you in the spirit world if something happened. But it won't. I may be the avatar and I can't turn my back on my duties, but the world is gonna be much safer now and we're only getting stronger. Besides, with you around, I doubt anything _could_ happen to me." He couldn't help but smile softly, and Katara couldn't bring herself to look away from him for even a second. How was it, she wondered now, that she'd been able to restrain herself from him for so long? Here was her best friend, the most loyal, trustworthy, kindhearted, compassionate person she'd ever met, and he was completely devoted to her. Turning him away was the most senseless thing she could have done. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"I don't ever want to see you hurt again, though. I can't_ stand _it, Aang." The image of her best friend burning in her arms flashed through her mind again, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut in an attempt to block it out. He tightened his grip on her in response, lacing their fingers together.

"Did you know…" He started, trying to comfort her. "I used to have nightmares just like that about you?" She sniffed, looking up in curiosity.

"No...you never told me that. I thought all your nightmares were about the avatar state and the Fire lord and stuff." Aang shook his head, glad to have found a topic to distract her with at least somewhat.

"A lot of them were." He conceded. "But just as many were about me being stuck and not being able to help Toph or Sokka, but mostly you, when someone was trying to hurt you. Those were the scariest, the ones I didn't want to tell you about, because I was kind of afraid talking about it would make it come true, even though that doesn't make a lot of sense. And then I had some about you leaving me because I'd failed you…" He trailed off, recalling the insecurities that had haunted him for almost a year of travelling with his new friends that had never quite disappeared. "But that never happened. You always stayed with me even when things got hard, and the nightmares made me fight harder to protect you so I'd never have to watch you get hurt. I think it's just…something that happens when you really care about someone. If you weren't so important to me, I wouldn't worry about you so much." For the first time, Katara's frown lifted, the flow of tears slowing.

"I guess you're right." She said quietly, almost shyly. Now that the adrenaline rush of the fast paced dream had disappeared, she was left with a new feeling, partly timid and partly almost exhilarated from having just poured her heart out to Aang, from having just kissed him only hours ago. "Everything's gonna be different now, isn't it?" She whispered, echoing his words on the submarine on the day he'd kissed her for the second time. She watched with fondness as his cheeks colored, feeling hers do the same.

"If this means you aren't confused anymore…" He answered. She shook her head and he looked as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You have no idea." He breathed. "I've wanted to be with you so badly for such a long time, it was driving me crazy. I would've done _anything_ for you and I was so scared you'd never like me the same way."

"I'm sorry." Katara squeezed his hand with a sympathetic frown, sincerely regretful at the delay in her confession. "I guess both of us had some pretty irrational fears, huh?" She pondered, wanting to lighten the mood. Aang smiled timidly.

"I wouldn't say mine were _totally _irrational. Come on, I'm short and I never know the right thing to say around you. Nothing ever comes out right." He half joked, causing Katara to giggle.

"That's not true. You just completely cheered me up." She told him earnestly, looking up at him with a loving smile that made him completely melt inside.

"I just can't stand to see you hurt." He murmured, causing her to smile softly and move her gaze to her lap. They sat together for several long moments, Katara taking the time to absentmindedly trace the tattoo along Aang's arm, touching him partly for comfort, reassuring herself continually that he was still with her, as well as fulfilling her desire to bestow as much affection as she could on him to make up for the time she'd neglected him when he'd needed her. Then though, she yawned, her body protesting at the interruption of her sleep. Aang shifted next to her.

"We should probably go back to bed." He whispered, sounding slightly reluctant as he helped her up from their spot beneath the window.

"Yeah, you're right again." She agreed, a large part of her feeling very sorry as his hand slipped from her grasp. He hesitated however, hanging back for a moment as though contemplating something. Then, he turned around, facing her once more.

"Can we like…hang out tomorrow then?" He asked hopefully. Blushing, Katara nodded, unable to help an eager smile.

"Can I kiss you?" She inquired suddenly before she could change her mind out of shyness. Aang beamed.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Walking on her tiptoes so as not to wake any of their other sleeping friends, Katara made her way to the avatar's side once more, cupping his face as she placed her lips on his, kissing him tenderly. He returned it, a small sigh of contentment escaping his mouth.

"I could really get used to that." Katara stepped away.

"We can dream about it until we see each othe ragain tomorrow, now that we don't have to worry. And then, I guarrantee you will."


	35. Welcome Home

**A/N: A little late again, sorry :/. April is a busy time. But still trying my best to keep it weekly. This isn't ShockingRevelation's request because I got inspired and therefore distracted by this idea, but his request will be next chappie most likely. Also SummerSweetheart: Feel free to message me your request! 'Cuz at this very moment, I'm a little dry on ideas. I feel like I have more to say, but I can't think of it because I'm exhausted. It's been a very long day and I didn't get any sleep last night. Soooo, now that I have this uploaded, I'm going to bed. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

* * *

Aang hushed Appa as the bison landed several yards away from the temple itself, patting his nose in appreciation.

"Go rest, buddy." He whispered, and the large creature lumbered off, not having to wait this time for Aang to take off his saddle as the avatar hadn't found the need to bring it. He had been the only passenger this time and never carried a great deal of possessions with him on trips. When his duties as the avatar required him to spend extended periods of time away from his home in the Southern Air Temple, his family would often accompany him, staying in luxurious accommodations offered to them by the residents of whatever city they were visiting. But on shorter trips, like the three week one Aang was just returning from, he and Katara had agreed that it was more practical for her to stay home with their children. Even though it had only been a few weeks though, any amount of time away from his family to Aang, felt like forever. Still, the experience of coming home to their warm greetings made it worth it. He crept stealthily to one of the side passageways that led into the temple, a grin forming on his face. He could hear the familiar voices of Katara and Kya not far away, and it was all he could do to not break into a sprint.

"Daddy!" He stumbled backwards suddenly as none other than Tenzin appeared in front of him. The little airbender hugged his father around the leg, beaming up at him.

"Hey little guy!" Aang picked the six year old up, making sure to keep his voice a whisper even as he felt his heart fill with an expanding joy at seeing his son again.

"Why are you whispering?" The child asked curiously.

"I wanted to surprise you and Kya and mom. But you were too clever for me." He explained, setting his son on his feet again. Tenzin giggled. Aang knelt before him. "I still want to surprise the girls though. Wanna help me?" Tenzin nodded vigorously, ever eager to learn his father's tricks.

"Alright. You lead the way to where they are, and then when we get to the room, I'll hide and you tell mom we have a guest. I'll surprise Kya, and then when mom realizes there's no one out front, she'll come back and I'll surprise her, too. Got it?" Tenzin grinned a grin very traceable to his father.

"Uh huh!" He said eagerly, bouncing slightly with the help of his airbending.

"Awesome. Let's go." Tenzin led his father down the remaining passageway and stopped before the doorway of a large, circular room that the family often gathered in.

"They're in here." He whispered. Aang ducked into an adjoining passageway perpendicular to the hall that opened into the room his family was in, effectively hiding himself.

"Alright, go tell Mommy there's a guest." He instructed, and Tenzin giggled before opening the door.

"Mom, there's someone at the front door!" Aang heard his son say, his voice threatening to betray him as he barely stifled a laugh. To Aang's relief though, Katara didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Alright sweetie. Let's go see who it is." The door opened and it took every ounce of Aang's self restraint to not run from his hiding spot to greet his wife. It had been so _long_ since he'd heard that wonderful voice, and it made his knees shake slightly. But he forced himself to stay put until Tenzin and Katara's footsteps were far enough away. He poked his head out, glancing quickly around to make sure that they were in fact out of range, before stepping out of the corner and into the room. Kya was sitting on her favorite chair against the wall, absently braiding the hair of her favorite water tribe doll as her own dark hair fell over her face, partly obscuring it.

"What's such my little princess doing all by herself?" Aang asked from the doorway, announcing his presence. Kya's head jerked upwards and her eyes lit up with joy as she immediately jumped to her feet.

"Daddy!" She ran to her father and leapt into his open arms, squealing with delight as he spun her around. "I missed you." She murmured into his tunic when the spinning stopped. Aang smiled softly, kissing her forehead.

"I missed you too, so much. That was pretty high!" He exclaimed, referring to the leap she had taken to launch herself into his arms. He hadn't even had to bend down to pick her up.

"I practiced bending every day." The four year old said, pleased with herself.

"You did?" Aang asked. His daughter nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! I beat Tenzin at airball!"

"That's great, Kya! I'm proud of you." The girl only beamed in response, pulling her father eagerly by the hand to sit next to her when he set her back on her feet.

"Tenzin said we have a guest." She informed Aang, picking up her doll again.  
"Oh, really?" He replied, feigning curiosity.

"Uh huh. There she is!" Kya pointed eagerly to the door as her mother reappeared with Tenzin in front of her. Immediately, Aang's eyes locked with hers and he felt his heart thrumming loudly in his chest as a slow smile spread across his wife's features.

"Ah. I suppose you're our guest?" She said, her sparkling eyes betraying her even tone.

"Only if you and your lovely family wish me to be." He stood up, approaching his wife and smiling at her.

"But of course." Her voice was softer as Aang laced their hands together. As he leaned in to kiss her chastely before embracing her tightly, it was almost all she could do to stop herself from taking it much further. She inhaled his scent deeply, exhaling in a sigh. Spirits, it had been far too long.

"I missed you so much." He murmured into her hair so that only she could hear. Tears stung at her eyes, but she fought them back.

"I missed you too." She pulled away, exhaling contentedly and composing herself.  
"Daddy, play Pai Sho with me!" A tug at Aang's travel pants diverted his attention from his wife to his son, who was bouncing eagerly in place. He chuckled.

"Alright, Tenzin. Think you can beat me this time?" He asked, reaching onto one of the shelves to lift the Pai Sho board onto the low, wooden table in the center of the room. The six year old nodded eagerly, settling himself in a lotus position on the opposite end of the table from Aang. Kya and Katara took seats on the long side of the table, Kya sitting in her mother's lap so she could watch.

* * *

"Goodnight Kya." Aang kissed his youngest on the forehead as he watched Katara tuck her in, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and feeling his heart swell with contentment.

"Night Daddy." With a wave of his hand, Aang extinguished the candle on Kya's bedside table, slipping his hand into Katara's as they left the room to retire to their own. As soon as the door was shut safely behind them, Katara ran and jumped into Aang's arms much as Kya had, only she wrapped her legs around her husband's waist, causing him to stumble backwards at the sudden impact as they both collapsed onto their bed for the first time in weeks, laughing.

"You been practicing airbending too?" Aang joked. Katara only smiled, impatiently pushing Aang's robes off of his shoulders to expose his bare chest.

"No." She answered, her blue eyes flicking rather slyly up to his before she placed a series of kisses on his shoulders and collar bone.

"Katara…" Aang trailed off, touching her cheek and causing her to pause as she met his eyes. He hesitated no longer. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her deeply, hearing her breathe a sigh of contentment against his lips. A small shudder went through his body at the sensation of her pressed so close to him again. He didn't know how he'd possibly managed to spend what now felt like an eternity away from her. When they parted for air, Katara rested her chin on his shoulder, and his hands clenched tightly in the fabric of her dress as they held each other.

"Spirits, I missed you so much." She murmured over his shoulder, a drop of moisture trickling down his back. He sighed in reply, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair that he'd been deprived from all those nights sleeping alone. His eyes began to burn as well, but he only clutched her tighter.

"I missed you too. And the kids. More than you can imagine." Taking a deep breath, he at last pulled back so he could look at his wife, giving her a tired smile.

"Was it that bad? You had Zuko for company, right?" She asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I wasn't miserable or anything. But I can't kiss Zuko. And even if I could, it wouldn't be the same because he doesn't have your hair." Aang grinned, eliciting a laugh from Katara as her husband moved behind her, pulling the tie out of the end of her braid and running his fingers through it to release the thick, but soft waves from their constraints.

"Is that the only thing that separates me from Zuko then?" She teased back, barely suppressing a sigh of pleasure at the feel of Aang's hands working gently in her hair, occasionally brushing against her scalp.

"Nah. There's also the whole thing about you being my wife and me loving you, you know, all that stuff." Aang answered casually, causing them both to dissolve into happy laughter. This, Katara decided, might just have been what she'd missed most. They way Aang could make her feel so effortlessly happy with something so simple. The way they enjoyed each other's company this way the same way they had when they were still children. They hadn't lost anything in the development of their relationship, had never had to sacrifice their friendship for love, only built on it.

"Yeah, all that." Katara closed her eyes now, feeling wonderfully soothed by the combination of Aang's touch and voice, all hers.

"How were things when I was gone though?" He asked, returning to seriousness as he sensed his wife's tiredness.

"Kinda crazy." She said honestly.

"They're your kids as much as mine after all."

"Hey!" Aang protested playfully and they both laughed.

"I'm just kidding. I was pretty energetic when I was little too. Besides, the fact that they're yours makes them all the more lovable, so I can't complain, even if they do tire me out sometimes when I'm either playing with them or chasing them…or trying to get Tenzin to bed for that matter." She added. Aang chuckled, finishing with Katara's hair and sitting cross legged on the bed across from her.

"I used to hate bedtime too. But he always settles down when you tell him stories." Katara nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I think he really missed you telling them, though." Aang shrugged, but felt an inward twinge of regret. Though he knew he could never wholly sacrifice his duty as the avatar, the part of him that was dedicated to being a father always made him feel slightly guilty when he had to part from his children.

"I missed it too." He sighed. Katara put a gentle hand on his shoulder, sensing his sadness.

"It's alright." She said, in that lovely voice warm as tea.

"You're doing what you have to. They understand that because they can feel that you love them." Aang peered at her uncertainly.

"You think so? To be honest, sometimes I'm afraid they feel secondary when I have to do this stuff. I wish I could be with them all the time, but I can't." He confessed.

"I know. But like I said, they do know that you love them. Believe me. Why do you think I'm okay? I know that you'll always come back and I know you do this because you have to. If anything, it makes me love you more because it shows that you really are a noble, brave, responsible man. They look up to you for that. You're a great role model and father at the same time." Katara's eyes sparkled reassuringly at him, and he couldn't help but feel instantly warmed.

"And you're the best mom they could ever ask for. I don't know what any of us would do without you." Katara smiled softly, cheeks coloring. She waved her hand in a dismissive motion.

"Enough." She said quietly, crawling closer to her husband once more and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed his forehead, but stopped him before he could respond by capturing her lips. He initially looked disappointed, but then more curious when she spoke again. "I have some news for you, actually though." She announced.

"Oh yeah?" Katara nodded, taking his hands and lacing them with hers.

"Yeah. Remember the night before you left?" Aang blushed, nodding. It had been a passionate night, as they always were before they had to part, each driven by the desire to enjoy every ounce of each other as much as possible so as to sustain them throughout their separation. Of course, no amount of contact in one night could possibly keep them completely satiated for several weeks apart.

"Well…it looks like we're gonna have another little one joining us soon." She told him.. Aang's eyes widened before he beamed, embracing his wife tightly as an indescribable joy bubbled within him.

"Katara, that's wonderful!" He seized her hands. She bowed her head slightly, blushing.

"I know." She smiled warmly, resting a hand on her still flat lower belly. Aang's tattooed hand soon joined it, their eyes locking. Then, lying down, the Avatar carefully untied his wife's sash so that her robe fell away from her body, leaving her in only her undergarments. He kissed her stomach, eyes sparkling. She lay next to him, curling against his chest as his arms wrapped around her. She'd always admired the way they fit together so perfectly, like Earth Kingdom nesting dolls.

"You make me so happy." Aang whispered earnestly.

"You make _me_ happy." She answered, tracing the tattoo on his arm. And as she drifted to sleep beside him for the first time in weeks, she couldn't help but feel like the luckiest woman that had ever lived.


	36. Note

Hey lovely readers. As you've probably noticed, I haven't updated in a few weeks. As Private LL Church already knows, my boyfriend's dad died a little while ago and his family is catholic, so they've been doing the 9 day vigil services and a lot of other ceremonies that I've been over at his house to help out with and to be there for him. Also, it's the end of my senior year and I've been swamped with homework because teachers love doing that before we leave, and my AP lit and AP US history tests are coming up. Also, as I've mentioned before, I'm editor in chief of my school's literary magazine and we have to finish that up really soon, so I've been working on that. I'm also trying to plan for my grad party and a week at the beach with my friends and trying to get a job for summer. So, long story short, I'm really busy, and that's why I haven't updated lately. I'm really sorry to leave you all hanging again :/. So I'm declaring a mini-hiatus that I'm predicting will end after May 20th, which is the day of my prom and when stuff should start settling down for me. I have a long, (relatively) empty summer ahead of that, so things should get back to normal then. I know I said something similar last time I went away for a looooong time, but I promise that won't happen again. I give you all permission to PM me and nag me for new chapters if I don't stay true to my word. Until then, I really hope you have a nice Spring and I'm sorry again for letting you guys down :(.


	37. End

**A/N: I'm back! Since all you guys left such nice condolences and reviews and were so understanding about my break, I decided to get this one up a week earlier than originally planned for you :). Thanks so much for the sympathy. I showed my bf some of the reviews and he was touched ^^. You guys are awesome. He's doing pretty well considering. Anyways, in light of the situation, I found ShockingRevelation's old request quite timely, so I wrote it. I did see everyone else's requests as well, and I'll try to get around to them within the next month, though I also have a few ideas of my own now that I'd like to post. This in particular isn't one of my favorites, partly because the topic is one that really scares me personally, and also because I'm just getting back into my writing groove and haven't entirely warmed up yet. But I'll get there! Thanks again for being so understanding and patient. **

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

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"Will grandma be okay?" Meilin asked her father. Tenzin smiled sadly, but squeezed his daughter's hand.

"Everybody's okay in the end." He answered her. He was the last of Aang's children remaining at the temple that night, and his wife and son had departed an hour earlier to spend time with the rest of the family. All six of Aang and Katara's children were staying temporarily at the temple as the aging waterbender's health worsened. She and her husband were only in their seventies, but their lives had been so full that they could have been twice as old. The airbender smiled tiredly at both of them.

"Why don't you and Meilin get some sleep, Ten?" His gray eyes held an aged look. He was tired. Exhausted from a lifetime of nonstop movement and loss and feeling and pain and joy. The avatar's firstborn locked his gaze with his father's and he nodded, pulling the older man into an embrace.

"Yeah. Keep mom company." He smiled when he pulled back. Aang nodded and bent to kiss Meilin's forehead.

"Sleep well. I'll see you soon." He promised. The nine year old nodded.

"Night grandpa Aang." Aang smiled fondly and pushed open the door to the room he'd shared with Katara regularly since they'd gotten married over fifty years ago. His smile turned into a deep frown when he saw her, and he felt a searing pain in his chest. She was beautiful, still. But her skin was pale, breathing shallow and she was painfully still.

"Katara…" He breathed, sitting beside her on the bed and running a hand over her scalp, stroking her hair and squeezing her hand. She looked at him with weary blue eyes.

"Hey Aang." Her voice was so soft, so quiet that if he didn't know how she sounded by heart, it would have been difficult to make out the words.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, a tone of urgency in his voice. Deep down, he knew she didn't have much time left, but his heart refused to accept it. She had to be alright. He couldn't watch her die. She was everything to him.

"Aang…" she trailed off. They'd been through this before, when she'd first fallen ill. _It's time, Aang._ She'd tried to tell him. But he always refused to hear it.

"No." He insisted, but his lips were quivering. Katara nearly had to look away. It broke her heart to know his sadness, and she wanted so badly to be able to sit up and put her arms around him and let him know that she would be better. But the strength that would have allowed her to do so had long since faded away.

Instead, she raised a trembling hand to cup her husband's face, doing her best to be strong.

"Thank you." She said softly. "Thank you so much for everything, Aang. I can't stay, but you gave me the most wonderful life I could have ever asked for. I promise, there isn't one thing I would've changed. I love you so much." She smiled, remembering her life for those brief moments she had left. Bringing Aang out of the iceberg for the first time and watching him open his eyes, Aang saving her life from firebenders, kissing Aang for the first time, Aang proposing to her, marrying Aang, making love to Aang, having all of her and Aang's children and raising them together with him, becoming a grandmother with Aang. He had made all of her dreams and even more come true. Now, she had only one remaining wish. She patted the empty space in the bed beside her.

"Lay with me." She requested simply. Wiping at his eyes with the heel of his palm, Aang obeyed, taking his wife carefully into his arms. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and kissed her forehead, each cheek, and then her lips, relishing her taste for a final time.

"I'll always love you, Katara. I won't ever forget you." His voice shook as he spoke even as he fought to keep it steady. Her lips had begun to quiver as well. "It'll be okay." He whispered. "Don't be afraid. We'll see each other again."

"I know we will. You didn't think I'd ever leave you alone for too long, did you?" She joked weakly. Aang stroked her cheek as she laid her head on his chest.

"Of course not. I meant it when I said you were my forever girl." Katara let out a contented sigh and lay against her husband in silence for several long moments, listening to his heartbeat just as she had when she'd been a girl, new to romance and completely in awe at everything Aang did. The latter of which had never changed.

"Goodnight, Aang. I love you." She whispered at last when she felt her eyelids begin to grow too heavy to keep open any longer. Aang squeezed her hand and pressed her closer to him, breathing in her scent and wishing desperately, hopelessly that if he just held her tightly enough she wouldn't be able to leave and they could just lay together forever and never have to worry about any of the things that caused them pain or sadness. But the avatar knew better than anyone that nothing ever stayed the same. He felt her nuzzle against his chest and suddenly, he too felt tired. Maybe if he just dozed off, they would wake up in the morning and everything would be just as it had been before…

Tenzin was greatly saddened, but not surprised to find that his father had passed on along with his mother the next morning when he knocked on their door.

"You know he couldn't have lived a day knowing she was gone." His wife, Mikka told him comfortingly, laying her head on his shoulder as tears fell from both of their eyes.

"I know." He agreed solemnly. And so Aang's children and grandchildren scattered the couple's ashes together into the wind as they had desired, and a year later, matching monuments to their love were resurrected at both the Southern Air Temple and Southern Water Tribe so that all could pay tribute to their souls. Men, women and children from all four nations came to visit the sites, grateful for their legendary accomplishment of restoring peace and balance to the world after a century of anything was certain it was that the story of the avatar and the waterbender would live on for the remainder of time, as would the stories of the rest of the group, who passed shortly after and in Sokka and Zuko's case, just before.

And far above in the Spirit World, Aang and Katara looked down on the peaceful world they had built together with smiles, content at last to be together for eternity.


	38. Confessions

**A/N: Yeah, another last minute chapter, I'm sorry :(. This past weekend was my prom and grad party, so it was pretty crazy. But it was also one of the most fun things that ever happened to me ever. And it actually gave me a possible idea for the next chapter (but there's an equal chance I'll do SummerSweetheart's request from last month next chappie too. I might be able to combine them). This was also somewhat inspired by a request that I write about both Aang & Katara's thoughts after the invasion. Which isn't *exactly* what it is, but it does go into detail about that moment in the series. Also, to ShockingRevelation: I mean to say this in my last AN, but I'm so sorry about your mom :(. I'm touched you (and all the other reviewers) seemed to think my last chapter did justice to such a moment. But I'm sure she's in a better place and you'll see her again. God bless you & your fam. **

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

* * *

Aang's first instinct when he came to consciousness was to get up and start his training. He could tell how early it was by the dimness of the sky outside, but that only meant that waiting much longer would cut short the time he needed to prepare. He groaned, feeling unusually sore. Never had he wanted to stay in bed so badly. Normally, rising early was not a problem for him as it had been part of his daily routine in his life at the Air Temple growing up, but today was different. Today, it was all he could do to push the covers down to his waist and begin to sit up. But then his door opened.

"What are you doing?" A soft, friendly voice stopped his progress, and Aang's bleary gaze fell upon none other than Katara. He was surprised to see that her hair was out and she was clothed in nothing but a soft peach colored robe.

"I've got to…" He stopped. What did he have to do exactly?  
"You don't have to do anything right now. You saved the world. You should rest." She smiled warmly, sitting next to him. An intense, warm rush of relief spread through Aang at the words as he recalled that Katara was right. He had done it. And he could barely believe it.

"I am pretty sore…" He answered. Before he could say anything else though, Katara had thrown her arms around him in a blur of tears.

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered, sniffing deeply in an attempt to hold back the urge to cry. Aang returned the embrace gratefully, closing his eyes to inhale her scent.

"Thanks. There's no way have done it without you, though." He murmured modestly.

"Still. You've been so brave." Katara said, pulling back and wiping at her eyes.

"You're really are a hero. My hero." Aang blushed, unable to stop a grin from spreading across his face.

"Really?" She answered him with a kiss and his heart stopped for a moment. _Is she really? _This felt far too incredible to be real, but he kissed her back, drinking her in and never wanting to part from her. He raised his arms to wrap around her waist, but pulled back in pain, wincing. Katara broke the kiss, worried.

"Oh yeah. I meant to heal everything yesterday, but you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up…do you mind if I do it now? You can try to sleep through it if you want." She too, was blushing profusely now, her words uttered in a low, timid tone, her head slightly bowed.

"It's fine…that actually sounds really good, if you don't mind of course." Aang answered, equally as shy all of a sudden.

"Of course not. Lie down however you're comfortable." Aang lay on his stomach, settling back into his covers with a contented sigh as he felt Katara's hands, coated with healing water press against his back. The healing began, the waterbender closing Aang's scrapes and soothing the burns from his fight.

"Aang…your scar." She said softly when she had made it midway down, just as his eyes were beginning to droop.

"I know." He answered. The lightning wound had been reopened when Ozai had slammed him into the stone cliff during their battle.

"That's how I got into the Avatar State. It's okay." Before touching the area with the water though, Katara carefully fingered the sensitive skin with her bare hands, causing Aang to wince slightly.

"Sorry." She said quietly.

"It just…makes me think about a lot of things. You're so brave." She breathed.

"I tried." He replied quietly. He closed his eyes, allowing the reality of the situation to sink in. It really was over. At least, the hardest part was. Katara had kissed him. But why? What did it even mean? Now that he thought about it, she'd returned his kiss on that day before the invasion, only to turn him away after the play on Ember Island. What if she didn't mean it the way he'd thought she had? He didn't want to ask her about it for fear he'd ruin everything, but another part of his brain was tired of not having answers. He didn't want to get his hopes up again only to have them tossed back at his feet. He tensed and relaxed as Katara attempted to smooth away the soreness in his muscles.

"Katara." He said her name suddenly. She stopped her ministrations, seeming to sense that this was something important.

"Yes, Aang?" The avatar turned over, grimacing slightly as he pushed himself up so that he was in a sitting position, leaning back against the pillows that supported him from behind. He took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"What does this mean for…us?" To his surprise, his voice didn't shake when he asked the question. He was ready to have his answers. There was nothing more for him to lose and he was tired of important things being left unsaid. He could have died without even knowing what was to become of them, and he couldn't bear the thought of anything similar happening again. Katara however, flushed deeply and began to fiddle with the sash on her dress. "I kissed you at the invasion because I was afraid I wouldn't see you again and I didn't want to leave this world without you knowing how I felt about you. And ever since, I've wanted to know how you felt. You don't have to love me back, but please, give me an answer. I don't like feeling unsure around you." He pleaded. Katara looked suddenly guilt-stricken, but did not break the gaze they shared. It was clear she had been trying to avoid the topic.

"Aang…" She said softly, sitting beside him. "I…I like you. A lot. I love you and I don't ever want to be the one to hurt you. I don't ever want you to feel like I don't care for you." She paused to cup his cheek. "I meant what I said. I think you're incredibly brave and I'm so proud of you. You're so strong. But I'm scared. I was scared you wouldn't come back during the invasion and I don't think you realize how much I mean that. You've given me so much hope and made me so happy and I can't remember loving anyone so much or feeling so alive since my mom died. You gave me that, but I'm scared if I let myself love you and be with you, you'll slip away just like she did. And I'd never be able to forgive myself if something like that happened. You have no idea how scared I was when Azula shot you down. You can't imagine how much that hurt, and then you got that crazy idea that you had to do this all alone, which only made me more afraid that I'd lose you." Aang's face fell, and Katara flinched. Part of her wanted to stop herself here before she caused any more damage, but she couldn't leave him hanging again. She'd done more than enough of that and she would rather face all the world's remaining evils by herself than see that awful look of betrayal on Aang's face knowing she'd caused it. "I love you." She reminded him. "But you have to let me watch out for you. I know you want to be brave and protect your friends and the people you love, but you've done so much of that, and it's something I need to do too. Please, let me protect you." She implored, enclosing one of his tattooed hands in both of her own. She could feel the warmth of life in his veins, reassuring her that he was alright, and she never wanted to put that in jeopardy again. He gave her a long, hard stare.

"I protect you guys because I'm scared too, Katara." He told her, his voice much softer than the look in his eyes, but suddenly Katara caught just a flicker of vulnerability there."Spirits, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…but, I guess you're right. Loving someone means letting go of some of those fears and letting people in. Besides, I don't think I could push you away anymore even if I tried." He smiled weakly and before he could brace himself Katara had flung her arms around him once more, ducking her head to kiss his cheek. "Please tell me_ that _means we're together." He sighed against her neck. She cupped her hands over his ear and whispered softly

"Only if you kiss me." And so he did. It was hard for him to believe this was their fifth kiss, because it still felt so new and so dreamlike to him. Katara stood up when they parted, brushing off her skirt and twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

"I don't know what'll happen to us." She told him, smiling shyly.

"But I know you'll be worth whatever we have to go through to have this." Aang's eyes sparkled happily, an enormous smile lighting his tired face.

"I always knew you were worth fighting for."


	39. Sunburn Healer

**A/N: This chapter features a return to my normal length! Hooray! I was *going* to do SummerSweetheart's request (really, I was!) but then I got a sunburn and this came out instead :/. I thought it was okay though. It's similar to several other chapters I have, but not exactly the same. I realize I tend to write things that are pretty similar to each other, the quiet, talky, touchy moments, and I guess that's okay, but occasionally I like to challenge myself as a writer so I shall try to step oustide the box for next chapter, I promise! About next chapter though, it might not come next Tuesday becaues I might be at the beach w/ some of my friends to celebrate graduation. Maybe. We haven't decided if it's gonna work yet lol. If I am, I'll try to write one earlier and maybe post in on Tuesday, but if I'm really busy, it might come later. On a more positive note, I wrote another Zuko story that I'll be posting sometime this week :D. Anyways, enjoy! **

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

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When Aang came inside that afternoon, he was pinker than usual, a bright rosy hue coloring his normally pale complexion. Upon closer inspection, Katara realized that much of his back and shoulders were of a similar shade, and he was frowning slightly. The waterbender stifled a giggle behind her hand, feeling a combination of amusement and sympathy for her friend.

"What?" He asked, grimacing as he seated himself next to her, his raw back rubbing uncomfortably against the sofa.

"You got a little sunburned." Katara smiled fondly and touched the tip of his nose, causing him to wince slightly. Much to his chagrin, he had been forced to spend a great deal of the rest of the summer indoors after Ozai's defeat, negotiating with the nations and trying to help the world through post-war reconstruction, mainly through meetings. Other than Toph, who had returned temporarily to the Earth Kingdom to finally confront her parents and hopefully mend their relationship, Aang's friends had stayed with him as Sokka and Katara represented the Southern Water Tribe and Mai and Zuko lived in the Royal Palace anyways. Now though, there was finally a break in the nearly daily meetings, and Aang had spent it outdoors training with Zuko in direct sunlight. Needless to say, his naturally pale skin had grown accustom to being indoors, causing it to burn upon his sudden and rather intense return into the sunlight. The evening though, he had saved for Katara so that he could finally spend some much missed time alone with her. And now, the sun was just beginning to set, marking the transitional period between afternoon and evening.

"I know." He grumbled, but he couldn't help the little fluttering in his chest that accompanied the feeling of Katara's touch on his face, even if it did sting a little. At least the sunburn concealed his blush.

"Well, if you still wanted to go to out to the lake…I could heal it. I'd need a lot of water, it's all over your back." She told him. His grimace turned into a slight smile. The reminder that he was finally going to get to spend time with Katara cheered him almost instantly.

"Yeah! Let's go." He hopped off of the couch with a slight gust of air, extending his hand with his signature grin for Katara to take as he helped her off after him.

The lake was only a short walk from the palace and on this particular day, was conveniently relatively empty. It was a popular spot for day outings among Fire Nation families, as Aang had learned from Zuko, allowing the children to play in the water while the mothers and fathers and elders talked together and picnicked for lunch. In the evening however, most of the families had gone home for supper and bed, leaving only a few stray people to walk the lake's perimeter in relative solitude, some young couples idly holding hands or sitting quietly together on the lake's shore.

Katara was particularly thankful for the seclusion, having have gotten rather frustrated with the fact that she barely got a moment alone with her best friend and now, love in the midst of all the post-war negotiations. Even when they did go out together in public, Aang was often crowded by various admirers of all ages and was usually too kind to request that they leave him be. So, the waterbender couldn't help but breathe an inward sigh of relief when they found a shaded spot on the banks of the lake unoccupied by anyone else. And at least now, the impending darkness did a fair job of concealing Aang's telltale arrows and silhouette.

"Sit down." She said quietly, obeying her own request and kneeling in the shallows, allowing the water to lap gently at her legs, which were now clad in only her under wrap. Her friend didn't hesitate to do the same, kneeling before her as he braced himself on his hands, bowing his head slightly. His scalp was a matching shade of red, which was perhaps the most painful part of the burn.

"Mmmm…" He couldn't help the contented moan when Katara's cool, water coated hands made contact with his skin. She blushed softly at the sound, her fingertips shaking just slightly as she worked. It was odd, but not in a bad way. She suddenly felt rather shy, even though she knew Aang better than anyone, and she knew it was because it had been so _long_ since they'd been able to share an intimate moment like this that she felt this way. And now the excitement of it gave her a sort of nervous thrill that she couldn't help but enjoy as she touched his bare skin.

She leaned closer to him when she finished his back, moving her hands to his strong shoulders, causing him to shudder slightly.

"Sorry." She whispered. She didn't know why she did. It wasn't as though she would disturb anyone by speaking at a normal volume, but something about the moment seemed to call for quiet. He turned his head to look at her briefly.

"…Don't be. It feels really good." He murmured, causing her to blush brightly as he turned back around. She quietly admired him as she worked, the now well muscled back, broadening shoulders, proud arrow tattoos that covered him from head to toe…it hit her suddenly that she saw him so differently now. He wasn't a child anymore. No, now she was admiring Aang as a young man. She was awed by the power he possessed, and even more so by the control he exercised over it. The way he was always so gentle and careful even though he had the ability to destroy everything and make anybody submit to his will with a wave of his hand. The way he stayed so humble even though most people treated him like a god. _That's part of why I love him so much._ Katara thought to herself, unsure if Aang noticed the fact that now she was just touching him out of her own fondness for him as the skin on his shoulders was already healed. For once though, she didn't really care. She wasn't under any pressure to finish this quickly, and had all the time in the world to simply linger where she wanted. Bending forward just slightly, she grazed her lips softly over the back of his neck, then moved to place a soft kiss on one of his shoulders. She felt his muscle stiffen as she exhaled quietly against his back, and smiled softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him towards her.

"I need to do your face too." She reminded him. He nodded, the heat rushing to his cheeks as Katara cupped his face. With her that close, it was all he could do not to kiss her right then and there. Her fingers worked carefully over his nose, cheeks, forehead, and then scalp, the glow from the water and the fading light of the day casting a warm shine on her own face as he looked at her. Normally, he would have been embarrassed to stare at her for so long, but he couldn't help it. The knowledge that he had this moment and many others in the future all to himself with her felt almost too good to be true. The fact that she was willingly touching him, caressing his face this way even after his burns were gone made him fall even more in love with her than he'd even imagined possible. Her lips moved gracefully over his face, kissing his newly healed forehead, nose, and each cheek. He'd always craved this type of affection, the loving touches and gestures in the midst of a world of people who were always asking _him_ to fix things or looking upon him as someone who was too powerful to really feel the things a normal human did. But she was different. Katara had always been different. She knew that he had the same basic needs and wants as anybody else, and she didn't even have to say anything to show him exactly how she felt. He could feel it in the way her fingertips brushed oh so tenderly over the tops of his ears, lips, cheeks, the way her warm breath tickled his neck in exactly the right way, soothing him and making him forget that anything else was important. Lulling him into trusting her more than he trusted anything or anyone else. He closed his eyes softly, smiling as she brushed over the lids and lashes.

He didn't ever want her to stop. But it was the end of summer, and the first big heap of negotiations and reparation plans had been completed. And Katara wouldn't _need_ to be here for at least half a year now that she'd given her opinion regarding the needs of her tribe. She could leave. And he couldn't blame her for doing so if she did. She hadn't seen her home in nearly a year. Aang felt his heart sink and tried to push the unpleasant thought aside so that he could enjoy the moment he had now. There had been a time in his childhood in which this was easy. Where he could just ignore those little worries about the future until the day they actually showed up. But now everything was different. Now he had learned the hard way that ignoring potential problems, even distant ones, could end up costing him dearly if he didn't have a plan for them. And he had no plan for what he would do if Katara left. And so the irritating little worry grew as he continued to dwell on it mentally, until he barely realized that Katara was here, now, touching him. At last, he could bear it no longer.

"Katara?" he started, opening his eyes.

"Yes?" Much to his disappointment, she dropped her hands from his face. But then, she reached down to his lap, twining her fingers slowly with his. The sun had set now, cloaking the two benders in darkness with the exception of the distant glow from the palace and city and the rising moon.

"I need to know something." He looked her seriously in the eyes, squeezing the hand joined with his.

"What is it?" She asked patiently.

"You don't need to be here anymore." He began. He instantly regretted beginning that way however, for she looked hurt. "No, Katara…I mean, that's what I'm afraid of." He tried to mend his words, blushing and feeling like he had in the Cave of Two Lovers all those months ago, ready to kick himself. "I mean…you haven't been home in ages. You must miss it. Now that you've technically done what you needed to do here, are you…leaving?" Saying it allowed caused a searing pain in his chest and he found himself dreading her answer. If just saying it hurt, what on earth would it be like if she actually left?

"Leaving you?" She said quietly. She too, looked rather pained by the phrase, but then she smiled. "I do miss home. And I plan to go back, but not permanently, Aang. I know you'll still be busy, but I was hoping you'd come with me when I go back to visit. I'm not leaving you. You're my home as much as the South Pole is now. I…I love you." It was the first time in weeks that the words had time to settle with Aang. Most of their "I love yous" had been more like "see you laters" or "good nights" as they were always so painfully busy. Aang felt perhaps more relieved than he had after defeating Ozai, and it must have showed on his face for Katara laughed.

"I love you too." He told her, sharing her smile. "I just don't want that to stop you from seeing your family and home. I don't ever want you to feel like you're, you know, stuck with me."

"It's not exactly 'stuck' if I wouldn't rather be with anyone else." Katara admitted, grinning. Aang couldn't help but beam. "Besides…" she moved close again, so that their faces were only inches apart. "I'll see them again. But you…who knows where you'll be if I leave you alone? I can't let you fly off to some far away place without me. Who would watch out for you and make sure you didn't do something crazy and dangerous?" She teased, leaning in still closer

"Yeah…" Aang breathed, inching in so that their noses were just barely touching. He couldn't help himself any longer. "And who would I do this with?" Then, he caught her lips in perhaps their most satisfying kiss since the one she'd initiated at Iroh's tea shop in Ba Sing Se. Her eyes closed, her hands coming up to wrap around him and bring him closer to her._ No way could I leave this._ Aang's kiss, despite the fact that he had initiated it, was as considerate and gentle as he was, loving and devoted, but never forceful. It was perfect. _He_ was perfect.

She was breathless when they parted, leaning her forehead against his.

"You have quite a convincing point there, my dearest _avatar _Aang." They both laughed, and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Only for you, my most lovely Katara, sunburn healer."


	40. Motherhood

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of an update last week :(. Graduation was on Friday and then the next day I went to two parties and then on Monday I went to the beach. But the good news is all that senior stuff is finally over so there shouldn't be any update-less weeks until like, August in which I shall embark on our annual family vacation (which is only 10 days long so it shouldn't be too bad). Anyways, I wrote this, and then I realized (this is like, the 3rd time I've done this) that I'd already written something very similar x(. It gets harder and harder to keep track of what I've already done with all these chapters. But then I went back through it and changed some stuff around/put some new stuff in, so hopefully it'll be different enough for you guys to still enjoy. Speaking of different though, I may write another M rated fic sometime this week considering that "Awake" was pretty well received. It's an idea that spawned off of SummerSweetheart's 2 month old request, and it's something I know for a fact I haven't written before, so even if this one reads kind of old, that one won't. Happy reading!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

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Katara lay curled on her side, several stray strands of hair sticking to her face as she slept deeply. Only, it wasn't nighttime. Rather, it was midday and the water bender was exhausted from being up all night with Tenzin, who was almost nine months old. Aang had been away for several days on Avatar duty, leaving her, Sokka and Suki to take care of their son. While her brother and sister in law were a great help, Katara was still the only one who could feed Tenzin when he was hungry and was thus forced to sacrifice her sleep on a regular basis. Not that she minded terribly. She loved her son with all her heart and couldn't help but feel her frustrations melt when she looked into his soft gray eyes. Still, the affection she had for him couldn't replace her need for sleep and she was extremely grateful when she'd been able to climb back into bed and shut her eyes for a nap just before noon that morning. It was a pleasant summer morning, a light, silent breeze blowing through the windows of the air temple and soothing both her and her son easily to sleep.

Being only an infant though, Tenzin's slumber did not last nearly as long as his mother's. Only an hour into her nap, a shrill cry broke the quiet, shattering Katara's sleep. She groaned slightly, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping that somehow the sound was only her imagination though she knew it wasn't. She sighed deeply, pushing herself up on one elbow and raising a hand to rub her eyes as she prepared to rise from the bed, resisting the almost unconquerable temptation to ignore the sound and lay back down. But the instinct drawing her to her child was stronger, it always was. Still, he couldn't be hungry…she'd just fed him….Suddenly though, the cries quieted. Puzzled, Katara opened her eyes, only to catch sight of a single Panda Lily in a vase on her bedside table. But what she saw next made her heart nearly leap out of her chest with joy. There, standing by Tenzin's now empty crib and holding his son with a fond smile, was Aang.

"Aang!" She exclaimed, suddenly feeling entirely revived, the Panda Lily almost forgotten. His eyes shone as they fell upon hers, and he covered his smiling mouth with a finger, telling her silently that they needed to be quiet so as not to agitate a now calmer Tenzin. Still, Katara swung her legs out of the bed she'd sorely missed sharing with her husband and sprinted to where he stood, reaching up to place a long, tender kiss on his lips. He pulled her into the closest one armed embrace he could manage, cradling Tenzin between them. "Aren't you tired too?" Katara asked when they parted. She knew he'd had a long journey and the meetings he attended while he was away weren't exactly riveting, especially to someone who preferred constant movement to being stationary all day. He shrugged, still grinning at her.

"Not as tired as you have to be. Did he keep you up last night? And did you see I got you a Panda Lily:" He cupped her cheek, brushing the stray strands of hair out of her face and tucking them behind her ear. She closed her eyes in pleasure, sighing. She'd forgotten how wonderful Aang's touch always felt.

"It's beautiful." She told him. "Why though? Aunt Wu's village was kind of out of your way, wasn't it?" Aang only smiled fondly, bouncing Tenzin from one arm to the other to shift his weight.

"A little. Did I really never tell you that story?" He asked, seeming surprised at her question. Katara shook her head, puzzled.

"What story?"

"Well…when I found out about the tradition of climbing the volcano to get a Panda Lily for your true love, I went to get one for you. But I couldn't get it back to you because that was when I found out the volcano was gonna erupt." He grimaced. "Timing was never on my side then…"

Katara giggled slightly.

"Don't say that. Even when things didn't work out as you planned, I always thought you were really sweet. You didn't have to do this for me." She kissed his cheek. "But it really is beautiful, Aang. Thank you." Her husband beamed.

"I'm glad you like it."

Suddenly though, Tenzin interrupted them, snuffling slightly and making a noise that sounded like the beginning of a wail. Aang was quick to react however, swinging the infant in front of him so that they were face to face.

"Hey little buddy, have you gotten bigger already?" He asked the infant, grinning. Tenzin only blinked

"Daaa…" He mumbled, no longer sounding like he was about to start crying again. Katara's shoulders sagged in relief and she smiled.

At almost eight months, Tenzin was just beginning to learn to speak, though Katara was thankful he hadn't said his first word while Aang had been away. Her husband laughed and returned their son to his original position, cradled against his chest. His eyes sparkled with youthful joy at being reunited with his family, and the only blood relative he had ever known. Some looked down on him and Katara for having a child so young, he barely seventeen at Tenzin's birth and Katara just shy of nineteen. But Katara had never met anyone more ready to be a father. Aang was responsible, caring, loving, strong, dedicated and gentle, not to mention energetic in his youth, which was already proving to be a necessity with Tenzin's almost constant need for attention at all hours of the day. And Katara felt comfortable in the role of a mother as she had filled that space to a large degree in their days of preparing Aang for his battle with the firelord.

"Go back to sleep." He told her softly. "You look exhausted." Katara shook her head.

"Nah. Now that you're here, I don't think I'll be able to sleep until you're lying next to me." She admitted, taking a seat on the bed. Aang followed, prompting her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"You know…" she started. "I barely got any sleep when I was pregnant. I mean, I knew babies were a lot of work, but I didn't think it was possible to sleep even less than…" She was interrupted by a yawn that escaped from deep within her. "that." She finished. Aang laughed lightly and wrapped his free arm around her.

"I'm sorry. I know that wasn't comfortable for you. I would've taken that pain for you if I could." He said apologetically, looking slightly guilty. Katara shook her head.

"Don't be. With you, I'd do it all again. It's definitely worth it." She smiled tiredly and unwound the arm around her shoulders so that she could place a kiss on his palm and then on the arrow on the back of his hand. "I love you so much, Aang. You and Tenzin. Much more than I love sleep or anything like that. This is the most worthwhile thing I've ever done."

"Yeah. For me too. I just wish I didn't have to leave you guys for all this avatar stuff. I'd much rather stay with you. I think about you for hours before I can even sleep at night when I'm gone." Aang's eyes took on a rather sad, far away look at the thought. "I just don't wanna miss any of this, you know? What if when I'm gone, Tenzin says his first word or learns to walk or airbend or you get pregnant again and you can't tell me till I get back?"

"Aang…" She touched his shoulder gently, taking the now sleeping Tenzin from his arms to return him to his crib several paces from the bed. She then sat next to her husband again, wrapping him in her arms.

"I know being away is hard for you. It's hard for me too. I hate waking up at night and realizing you're not next to me. But…you're here most of the time. Sure, sometimes you need to go away to take care of things, but it's been slowing down ever since the end of the war. You used to be in meetings all the time and now you only have to leave for a week or so every month. The world's learning how to function without you and it'll only get better. You haven't missed anything yet."

For a moment, Aang only looked at her, a smile replacing the worried frown on his lips. Then, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her down next to him so that they were both lying on the bed, side by side.

"I guess you're right. Besides, I don't think they're gonna need me for a while after this. Maybe he'll start talking before the next trip." He said hopefully.

"Probably." Katara smiled, pulling him closer. It was only then that she realized with an annoyed sigh that she was still wearing her dress from yesterday as she had fallen asleep in it and that due to its' rather constricting nature, she couldn't get much closer to Aang. Frustrated, she sat up and tried to reach behind her to undo the fastenings on the back. Aang chuckled.

"Let me help you." His voice was kind, suggesting that he really did want to help, but also held a hint of mischief. Still, his lips were right by her ear when he spoke and she couldn't help but nod. She felt his cool breath on the back of her neck as his fingers worked carefully on fastenings, causing her to shudder in relief as the confining fabric loosened on her body. When he finished, Aang swept her hair over one shoulder and kissed the back of her neck before pushing the dress off of her shoulders, prompting her to tug it off completely and fold it neatly before dropping it next to the bed. Now only in her undergarments, her chest bindings looser than usual from feeding Tenzin, she turned back to her husband.

"You too." She insisted, not even waiting for his permission before undoing his sash, carefully removing his wooden pendant, and lifting his shirt over his head for him. "There." She smiled, satisfied.

"Mmm." Aang pulled her down next to him again so that her back was pressed flush against his chest, bringing them as close as they could get. He nuzzled her fondly, scattering kisses over her shoulders and back. Shuddering slightly, Katara turned over to face him, returning the kisses on his collarbone, neck and face. He stopped her though, cupping her face with one hand while the other arm wrapped around her waist and kissing her soundly on the lips. Much to her disappointment though, she was forced to pull away sooner than she had intended as a yawn rose from within her. Aang however, only smiled lovingly.

"You are tired." He grinned. Katara wanted to protest, but her eyes were already drooping. She nodded.

"Yeah. We can finish this when I wake up though, right?" She asked.. Aang laughed.

"Of course." He stretched his free arm under her so that she could rest her head on it. "I'm not going anywhere."


	41. Secrets

**A/N: I really liked the concept of this when I came up with it, but I feel like I wrote Katara kind of out of character :/. So I'm sorry for that. I'm still working on the SummerSweetheart inspired request too, so I'm sorry that's not up yet. The good thing about this chapter is that it *isn't* a repeat. Don't have too much else to say this time around...so I hope this is okay.**

I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

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Katara combed her brush through her hair a final time and took a last quick look at herself in the mirror before releasing a short sigh of satisfaction and preparing to open her bedroom door. Lately, she realized she had been spending a great deal more time on her appearance than she ever had before. Sokka and Toph sometimes complained that she took _too_ long to get ready now, ever impatient to move on to whatever activity was scheduled for that particular day. But Aang always let her take her time, and sometimes even helped her get ready if it was reaching buttons on the back of her dress or brushing her hair for her. She smiled at the thought with a soft blush. Though she and Aang had been together for almost a month now (she knew a month wasn't a long time considering many marriages lasted for decades, but it still felt special to her because Aang was special to her and it seemed none of the obstacles that they could possibly face in their relationship would be as challenging as saving the world in under a year) the small ways he showed his love for her still gave her chills of excitement and her heart would race whenever he touched her. She could tell he was also still a bit shy, never having had a relationship like this before and having confessed to her that part of him was still hesitant as he didn't want to do anything that would possibly, has he put it, "mess this up." Though something told her that almost nothing in the world could possibly come between her and Aang as she knew for a fact they had a very deep, special connection, she could understand his cautiousness as she too, wanted to always be at her best for him. Which, she knew, was why she took so long to get ready now. She told Sokka and Toph it was because now they didn't have an urgent schedule to follow, and a great deal of their activities involved appearing in public or participating in formal events which called for neater, more presentable appearances as a show of respect. Certainly that was part of the reason, but Katara didn't care for the opinions of the nobles or the public nearly as much as she did about Aang's. She needed to be her best for _him._ Part of her, the down to earth, logic driven part of her, told her that it was silly as she knew Aang meant it when he told her he loved her for who she was on the inside and for everything they had been through together, but there was still a certain instinct that drove her to seek her best appearance whenever she presented herself to him. A gentle knock on the door of her room stopped her musings, and she called for the person to come in.

"I just thought I'd warn you Sokka's about to come in to get your sheets and stuff. It's his turn to do laundry." Aang poked his head into the room. "Good morning by the way." He grinned. Katara smiled at him.

"Good morning to you too…but can't he wait for like, two minutes? I'm almost done." She answered, slightly irritated at her brother and his lack of patience. Aang shrugged.

"I know. But you know how he is. Besides, you're dressed and all. I just thought I'd warn you because I know it annoys you when he-"

"Spirits Katara, you have to stop taking so long." Sokka himself strode into the room, liftinghis arms above his head in a stretch. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, you're one to talk mister "five more minutes!"" She retorted.

"Hey!" Sokka took hold of the sheets at the end of his sister's bed. "Those five minutes are for sleeping! That's actually important! Besides, Aang practically loses his eyeballs over you no matter what you're wearing. I don't think it matters too much, isn't that right, Aang?" Aang blushed, gulping.

"Sorta I guess. I always think she's pretty. But if she wants to dress up, that's fine with me too." He said quickly, trying not to pick a clear side to as not to worsen the argument between the two siblings. Katara gave an annoyed huff.

"Well, I'm done now, so I hope you're happy…wait!" She suddenly rushed over to the bed Sokka was currently stripping of its sheets, ducking in front of him before he could pick up her pillow. Aang had left the room, but Sokka gave her an odd look.

"What? You should be glad I'm doing women's work for you." Katara felt the blood rush to her face.

"Yeah…thanks Sokka, I really appreciate it. But because it is women's work, why don't you let me do it?" She suggested hurriedly. Her brother raised an eyebrow at her, now obviously puzzled.

"Um…because whenever I ask you to do it when it's not your turn you yell at me? Besides, it's not actually that big of a deal. What's the matter with you?" He inquired.

"Nothing!" She said hurriedly. "You know, actually, I think I changed my mind about what dress I wanna wear. Will you leave for a moment so I can change?" Now, Sokka looked downright suspicious.

"Not when it's just as easy to just grab this before you do that." Quickly, he ducked past his sister despite her attempt to block him and lifted the pillow off of the bed, revealing a folded piece of paper.

"Sokka!" Katara cried, diving onto the bed to seize his wrist as he reached to grab for it.

"What the heck, Katara? It's just a stupid piece of paper!" He exclaimed.

"This is my room and I say you can't see it! Just take the stupid sheets and go!" The words were not harsh, only frantic, panicked, which only made Sokka more curious. Before she could stop him, he wrenched free of her grasp and snatched the paper, standing on the bed and holding it over his head as he unfolded it so Katara couldn't reach.

"Sokka, stop it!" She cried. But it was too late. Sokka released a loud laugh.

"Wait a minute…this is that stupid wanted poster of Aang we found like, half a year ago! You sleep with a picture of Aang under your pillow?"

"Give it back!" She tried to defend herself, but it did no good, for Sokka had already jumped off of the bed with both pieces of paper, laughing to himself as he ran for the door which led to the hallway connected to the apartment's sitting room.

"You guys, look what I found under Katara's pillow!" He announced loudly, Katara on his heels as he half skidded into the sitting room where Suki, Toph, Zuko, Mai and to Katara's horror, Aang, were sitting on chairs or sofas.

"Sokka!" She exclaimed, giving one last futile jump for the paper held firmly in his hands. But as agile as she was, her brother was taller. Toph burst into laughter.

"Man, Katara, I didn't know you had it that bad…"

"I know right? Jeeze Aang, if I didn't know any better I'd say Katara was as bad as those fan girls of yours." Sokka added. Aang only blushed deeply, feeling his heart race. He tried to catch Katara's eye to reassure her that she didn't need to be embarrassed, but she wouldn't look at him. Rather, she looked as though she wanted to disappear. Luckily, Suki didn't look too amused and Mai and Zuko were only chuckling quietly at the siblings' quarrel.

"Oh yeah…you're "wanted" alright, Twinkletoes." Toph laughed, causing Katara to glare at her and Aang to blush still deeper. He hadn't known Katara had kept that…he lifted his eyes to look at her again, but hers were fixed intently on the floor and it was then that Aang knew her brother's teasing had gone a bit far, despite the fact that he knew it didn't truly make anyone think less of her, especially not him.

"Alright you guys, leave her alone. It's not that funny." Suki said, realizing the same thing Aang had and rolling her eyes at Sokka. The older boy's shoulders slumped and Toph snorted and stood up.

"Alright. I'm gonna go see Iroh, but thanks for the laugh, Sokka." She chuckled and punched Aang playfully in the arm on her way out and saying to Aang, "You've got her wrapped around your finger." He cringed, rubbing the spot as the door shut. A suffocatingly awkward silence fell over the room and Suki cleared her throat.

"Why don't you go do that laundry, Sokka? I'll help you." She offered, standing up. Sokka, who looked slightly disappointed that the only one who had laughed with him had just left, agreed and the two returned to the hall that led to the bedrooms. Zuko didn't even bother making an excuse to leave, instead slipping out of the same door Toph had with Mai, leaving Aang and Katara alone. Katara still refused to look at the airbender however, too mortified to face him. He, however, was peering carefully at her, trying to gauge how upset he was. She wasn't crying, but she was blushing more darkly than he'd believed possible for her tan complexion. His first instinct was to go to her and hug her, but he was stopped as he was struck with an even better idea. Without a word, the airbender rose from his seat and left the room, leaving Katara alone. She let out a long, shaky breath, sinking down onto the sofa left empty by Mai and Zuko. Aang hadn't even said a word to her. _Oh no_. What if Sokka had just ruined everything? What if Aang did see her as just another fan girl now? What if he'd wanted to laugh too but had only held it in to avoid hurting her feelings? Deep down, she knew that none of these were even possibilities because Aang was far too kind, caring and understanding for any of that. Still, it was beyond humiliating for her and she couldn't bear the thought of this bringing out any awkwardness or negative change in their relationship.

"Katara?" She jumped, feeling a hand on her shoulder and looking up to see none other than Aang himself before her as he sat down beside her. The blush that had finally been starting to recede flared up again when she at last caught his eye.

"Aang…I…" Sorry didn't seem quite right. It wasn't as though she'd done anything to hurt him. What _were_ you supposed to say after your brother told your boyfriend that you slept with a picture of him under your pillow? For once, Katara had no idea. Aang however, only smiled softly at her, his cheeks slightly pink as well.

"It's okay. Here, I wanna show you something." He told her gently and it was only when he handed it to her that Katara realized he had been holding a folded piece of paper. Curious, she opened it, surprised to find her own face looking back at her and a lock of brown hair tied with a piece of string lying in the crease of the paper. "See? You shouldn't be embarrassed. If anything…I'm flattered that you think about me, too." Aang murmured, smiling reassuringly at her. Katara's heart fluttered. She suddenly felt much, much better, if slightly confused.

"But…I haven't cut my hair since years before we met and I've never had my portrait done or anything. How'd you get this?" She questioned. Aang only grinned.

"I took the hair from your brush after that first time you let me brush it. And for the picture… it's not like I stood still for the fire nation to do my portrait or anything. Some people are just good at drawing from memory, and it actually turns out Haru was one of those people. So I asked him to draw a sketch of you." He shrugged. For the first time that morning, Katara smiled.

"Really? I never even knew that…" She breathed, touched. Even though Aang had been the first to admit his feelings, she always found it hard to believe that he could possibly love her as much as she did him.

"Yeah. Can I ask you something though?" Aang looked at her seriously in that way that made her feel like he was looking into her very soul. It wasn't an invasive, unwanted feeling though. It was merely profound and understanding. If anything, it made her feel rather safe, cared for.

"Of course." She answered.

"Why'd you keep that poster of me in the first place? That was before I even kissed you. And just a couple days before that you said I was just a friend." His eyes shone briefly with sadness at the memory. Katara nodded and took his hand, giving it a squeeze as if to remind him that that event was in the past.

"It wasn't really a decision I made as soon as I saw it. I mean, we took it down because we didn't want the Fire Nation to have any way of following you to capture you, and I just sorta put it in a pocket in my bag without thinking about it. And it just…stayed there. I took it out a few times, but I never threw it away. I know I told you you were just a friend, but honestly, even I didn't completely believe that. I'd never met any boys my age other than Sokka in the South Pole, and you were so different and exciting and fun…not to mention you were always so sweet…"

"Like Momo?" Aang interrupted, and this time, they both laughed at the memory.

"Well," Katara started again. "I don't think it's possible for anyone, human or lemur, to be as sweet as you. Anyways, I told you this, but after Azula shot you, I was really afraid of losing you and I realized how much I really cared about you. _Then_ I started putting that picture under my pillow. It was just…sort of comforting, you know? Like how I always wear my mother's necklace. Then after you beat the Ozai I realized that you were pretty much out of danger, at least for a while. But…even after that I couldn't really bring myself to let go of it. Even though I was going through a really hard time when this started, I don't want to forget it because I don't ever want to take you for granted. It sort of helps me remember to be thankful that you're alright." She finished, hearing Aang exhale softly.

"Wow." He said. "I really am sorry I made you worry so much, Katara…" Katara shook her head, smiling.

"It's not your fault. Besides, that's just what happens when you love someone. You care about them, so you worry about them." She told him. Aang laughed.

"Believe me, I know." He was looking at her again, stroking the back of her hand reverently with his thumb and Katara realized again how much she adored him. Locking her eyes on his, she placed her hands on his shoulders and placed a slow, tender kiss on his lips. He seemed surprised at first, but soon leaned into it, wrapping her in his arms and relishing the fact that she was here with him.

"Better?" He asked when they parted, grinning. Katara nodded, sighing contentedly.

"Much."


	42. What Remains

**A/N: Hola! First of all SummerSweetheart: Certainly I can have it up by the 30th! It's almost done ^^. For everyone else, at least the first part of this chappie is different from what I usually write. I don't have a whole lot of experience with action scenes, so I hope it turned out okay :/. I went back and fixed a lot of things before I uploaded it, so I'm hoping it all fits together alright. I'm not sure why, but I've been in the mood for parent fics for a while now and I can't seem to stop writing them (last chapter being the exception I guess). Hope you guys enjoy! and happy 4th next Mon!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

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_Just when we thought this was over._ Katara knew it was lucky that she and Aang had been able to live in relative peace for several years after the war. But luck had its limits. Aang was now several villages away meeting with its leader and the waterbender had urged Tenzin, her son, to keep Asha, their daughter, safe and to run away as far as they could for the time being. She, along with Zuko and his troops were fighting to defend the palace from the largest-scale, and apparently best organized, rebellion yet and she didn't want her children anywhere near it. Some parts of the palace were already in flames, but all Katara could think about was her children and Zuko's and how she would do anything in her power to keep them safe, even if it meant giving up her own life. If she had been focused on what would be safest for her, she could have easily fled the scene and hidden somewhere far away. Here, she was already badly outnumbered and outmatched as many of Zuko's troops were stationed elsewhere in the Fire Nation for security's sake and she didn't have a large source of water to draw on. There was only the water from the few trees and plants around the outside of the palace and from the air and in her pouch. In a one on one, or even one on two, battle, Katara knew she would have been perfectly well equipped. But there were so many attackers…all of them with unlimited fire and Katara was getting tired. She cried out in pain as she felt a flame singe her arm, not quick enough to dodge all the attacks that were being thrown at her. But there was no time to heal herself. Concentrating her energy to the best of her abilities, she ripped the water from the grass beneath her feet, turned it to ice and flung it at the men attacking her. Several of them fell, but still more seemed to come out of nowhere to continue the attack. Katara was reminded suddenly of the unforgettable battle of the Crystal Catacombs in Ba Sing Se._ There's too many._ She remembered thinking, but she couldn't give up. Not now.

"Mommy!" Exhaustion momentarily forgotten, Katara whipped around, mouth running dry when she saw none other than her own son backed helplessly against a wall of the palace, trapped and surrounded.

"Tenzin!" She ran as quickly as she could, but before she could reach her son, one of the men around him picked him up around the middle and held him against his chest.

"Let him go!" Katara was shaking. She had been angry many times before. Angry at Azula for nearly killing Aang. Angry at the man who had killed her mother, but never could she recall being as furious as she was at the man who was holding her child, her _baby,_ fast against him.

"Hm. I suppose I could, but I'd very much like to live in this palace again instead of on the Boiling Rock... probably just as much as you'd like your son returned to you unhurt." Katara relaxed her fighting stance, dropping her bending water with a glare. Tenzin was crying and it was all Katara could do to restrain herself from continuing her attack in the most ruthless way she knew how.

"Please-" She started, voice breaking.

"Put him down." A hurricane-like gust of wind accompanied by a familiar, but somehow alien voice stopped her in mid plea. _Aang._ Her husband's tattoos and eyes were glowing white as he moved swiftly between her and the man, and her first instinct was to run to him, to stop him. He hadn't used the avatar state since the day he'd defeated Ozai, and both of them had hoped that he would never have to again. Katara had never seen him in full control of this great power before. Before, he had always been far away, lost in his anger and unable to control anything he was man dropped Tenzin, who scrambled to his mother's side as quickly as he could manage. Katara picked the four year old up and held him tightly against her, tears filling her eyes.

"The rest of your army has already surrendered." The voices of all the past avatars spoke through Aang, and all of the men except the one holding Tenzin had scattered. "I suggest you do the same." There was something frightening, distinctly, un-Aang like about the way he was speaking. With a blast of air and stone, he pushed the man violently onto his back, power radiating from his very being.

"Avatar Aang…have mercy!" But Aang didn't back down. Instead, he thrust the man against the same wall Tenzin had been cornered against.

"Don't ever come near my family again." He growled, causing the man to cower in fear.

"I won't, I promise I won't. Please-"

"Go!" the man scrambled to his feet and fled the courtyard, leaving only the Avatar and his family. The glow faded, and Aang fell to his knees, gripping the earth with his hands. He simply knelt there for a second, before looking around frantically, seeming to realize something was missing.

"Where's Asha?" He asked desperately, looking more heartbroken than Katara could ever remember seeing him.

"She's…she's hiding at the lake, Daddy." Tenzin stammered. "Mama said to keep her safe, so we went to the lake, and then I came back to find you guys cuz I was scared." Tears were streaming from his eyes and he was trembling violently. Never had he seen his father that way before. Aang's shoulders slumped.

"It's okay. Let's just get her and leave."

* * *

True to Aang's word, the rest of the rebel army had surrendered as soon as they'd seen the avatar in his most powerful state after his first strike. Zuko and Katara worked to put the fires out that afternoon, which fortunately hadn't had the chance to do a great deal of damage to the palace. That evening though, Aang didn't come to dinner with his family and Zuko's and Tenzin was still terribly shaken when Katara tried to put him to bed. Asha was fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the meaning of any of the events that had transpired as she was only just emerging from infancy.

"Mama?" Tenzin called to Katara rather hesitantly from his room as she passed in her sleeping robe. The water bender halted in her tracks, standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Tenzin?"

"Can you come in?" He asked, gray eyes shining at her in the dark in a way that reminded her so much of Aang…her heart clenched at the thought. She hadn't seen him since he'd retreated to their room at the palace after the fight, and it worried her. No doubt he was just as shaken, if not moreso, than Tenzin was about what had happened that day.

"Of course." She smiled reassuringly and entered the room. Tenzin quickly made space for her in his bed so that she could crawl in next to him. Together, they sat up, allowing Katara to take him into her arms.

"What's wrong, Sweetie?" She asked. She already had more than an inkling of why the little airbender couldn't sleep, but she asked first anyways.

"What happened to Daddy today? Is he okay? He was…scary." Katara sighed, pulling her son onto her lap. He leaned against her, grasping one of her arms and resting his head on her chest. His mother smiled softly, feeling a wave of tenderness overcome her at the loving, trusting gesture. He had certainly inherrited his affectionate side from Aang, she often noticed.

"Daddy's the avatar." She told him gently. He knew this, but it was the only way to begin the explanation. "That means that when he really needs to, he can draw on all the power of the past avatars to help him if people are in trouble or when hard to stop bad guys on his own. His eyes and tattoos glow because all the other avatars are channeling their power through him, and then, he's really strong. Today, he needed it to stop all the rebels because there were so many of them." She explained.

"Oh." Tenzin said simply. "But…what about that one guy? Daddy could've taken him without the avatar state, right?" Katara sighed, chewing her lip and trying to find the righ way to word her response. She didn't want to frighten the child, but it was difficult considering even Aang was afraid of the avatar state and he was the one who had the power to control it.

"Yes." She began delicately, using the pause afterwards to choose her next words carefully. "But Daddy was very angry. Sometimes people give up their fight more quickly when they see him that way, which is what he wanted. You have to understand that Daddy loves us very much and he would do anything to protect us. He got so angry because he saw you in trouble, and he doesn't ever want you to be in danger. I was very angry too, but I couldn't do as much as he could." She explained, running her fingers through her son's hair in a soothing motion. Tenzin nodded and was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

"Is he mad at me for getting in trouble?" He questioned timidly, sounding suddenly afraid.

"Look at me Tenzin." Katara's voice was gentle, but firm as she placed both of her hands hands on his shoulders. He obeyed, meeting his mother's deep, sapphire gaze.

"Daddy was scared for you. Both of us were. But we were never angry. We just need you to be careful because not everyone in the world is nice like our friends. There are bad people out there and we want you to stay away from them. If something like this ever happens again, we want you to stay with Asha and get as far away as possible. Do you understand?" She asked seriously, never breaking her gaze. She needed this. She wouldn't be able to bear seeing him in danger again, it had nearly killed her. Tenzin nodded. Katara gave him a small smile. "Good." She kissed his forehead and they were quiet for a moment.

"Mama?" He asked again.

"Yeah?"

"Has Daddy ever gone into the avatar state before? Has he ever…killed anyone?" Katara was slightly shocked by the second question, but realized that it was only natural for Tenzin to wonder. His father was the most powerful man in the world after all, and they had been fighting a war for almost a year when they'd first met.

"Daddy went into the Avatar state a few times when we were trying to defeat Firelord Ozai before you were born. But back then, he hadn't learned how to control it yet, so it just came to him when he got really angry or if he couldn't possibly win an important battle without it. But no, he's never killed anyone. He believes that all life is sacred." Katara paused, smiling fondly. "Especially yours and Asha's." She looked down, only to find her son's eyes closed and his chest rising and falling slowly with the rhythm of his breathing. Her smile widened and ever so carefully, she slid him off of her lap and tucked him under his covers, kissing his cheek before standing up and leaving the room.

_One down, one to go._ She told herself silently before carefully opening the door to the next room, the one she shared with Aang. Her heart fluttered slightly when she noticed that their bed was empty, but she let out a breath of relief when she saw him on the opposite end of the room, back to her as he gazed out the open window. His shirt was off, showing his tattoos.

"Aren't you tired?" Katara asked softly, closing the door behind her and moving to her husband's side. She placed a hand on his back. Deep down, she'd known better than to assume he'd be asleep after a day like this, but she was continually amazed at how much strength he had, especially when the avatar state drained so much of his energy.

"It doesn't matter. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyways." He told her. He looked at her, gray eyes sad in a way that reminded his wife vividly of the Aang she'd found in the iceberg. He looked so ashamed, scared, vulnerable. And her immediate instinct was to fix it. She couldn't stand to see him hurting. It broke her heart as much as it did to see Tenzin scared.

"Aang…it's okay, nothing happened. No one got hurt. Everyone's safe and we got the situation under control in time. Everything's fine." She murmured, trailing her fingers lightly along the length of his spine and placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder.

"I heard you." He choked abruptly, not seeming to even feel her touch. He brushed the heel of his palm angrily over his eyes. "I scared Tenzin. I scared my own son. What kind of father does that, Katara? I promised myself I wouldn't let the avatar state get out of control again, and I did. I was so angry I didn't even try to come out of it when I didn't need it anymore. I _wanted_ to hurt that man." He swiped at his eyes again, wiping away the tears gathering there. His shoulders began to shake and he looked pointedly away from Katara.

"Aang…" She sighed, putting her arms around him in an attempt to bring him closer. "C'mon. Tenzin knows you love him, I explained everything to him. He would've found out about the avatar state someday anyways." She murmured. She felt her husband take a deep breath and she closed her eyes briefly.

"I know you're right." He said tiredly. "I just hate the idea that I scared him while I was trying to protect him. I was hoping he'd find out about it another way." Katara smiled softly to look him in the eyes.

"And I was hoping we'd beat Ozai on the Day of Black Sun and not have to wait for Sozin's Comet. But sometimes, things don't work out exactly as we hope they will. That doesn't mean they'll never work out at all though." She reminded him gently. Aang sighed, lowering his hands so he could grasp Katara's.

"I know. I just feel so awful knowing that our children are in more danger than they should be just because of who I am. Even if it's not the avatar state, you saw what happened today. That man could've killed Tenzin if I wasn't fast enough. He could've killed _you_. You know I can't bear to even think about that." He sunk to his knees, taking Katara with him, suddenly feeling too tired to stand. Husband and wife leaned against the wall beneath the open window, but never broke physical contact, Katara squeezing his hands tightly and running her thumb over the arrows on the backs of them. The weight of his words sunk into both of them rather heavily and they sat in a somber silence as they reminisced on the truth of what had happened that day. Katara leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, but then smiled softly.

"You know what though?" She asked. Aang shook his head.

"What?" He asked, gray eyes still clouded with shame. Katara squeezed his hand before beginning to speak.

"Even though more people are after you than the average person, our children are also safer than most because their father is willing to use all of his power to protect them. You always find a way to save the people you care about. As for me, I knew what I was getting into when I married you, and I knew it was dangerous to come with you when I first met you, but that's never stopped me and it never will. We've already gotten through the hardest part. There's no way I'll let a couple Fire Nation rebels stop me from loving you. I can take care of myself, and even if I couldn't, I have complete faith in you." For the firsts time that day, Aang smiled. Then, without warning, he picked her up bridal style, causing her to let out a slight squeal of surprise.

"What would I ever do without you?" His eyes sparkled and though his tone was playful, his eyes told her he was completely serious at the same time as he placed her gently on their bed before climbing in next to her. Katara shrugged, grinning.

"I could ask you the same question." She scooted closer, her lips only inches away from his. "But luckily…" she whispered. "I don't have to, because I've got you." She cupped his face lovingly. "The best husband and father in the whole world." This time, the tear that rolled down Aang's cheek was one of happiness and he leaned in to kiss his wife deeply, silently thanking her for everything she somehow always managed to do for him.

"And I've got you…" He sighed into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her middle. "And I promise I won't let anything change that."


	43. The Little Things

**A/N: I just thougth this was a cute idea ^^. Actually, I was more inspired this weekend than I've been in ages. So I wrote a bunch of stuff that I think is pretty good :). So the next few weeks should be better than average. Not much else to say for this one, so enjoy!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

Summer was finally drawing to an end. Normally, Katara would've been rather saddened by this as in the South Pole, the cold was at least slightly more bearable in those months, but now, in the Fire Nation where summer weather could become almost unbearably hot, she was grateful for autumn where the weather would cool slightly. That, and it symbolized to her a true conclusion to everything they'd been through. It had been a long, hard summer, the intense training and battle preparation, the day of Sozin's Comet, and then the negotiations afterwards, which were still going on, but slowing down more every day. And the less time spent in meetings, the more free time Katara had to spend with Aang. It had been almost an entire year since they'd met, but to Katara, she'd felt like she'd known him her whole life. Perhaps because it felt as though her lie hadn't really started until she'd met him. She'd never thought it possible to fall so completely in love with someone so fast…but fate had proven her wrong. _Aang_ had proven her wrong, but she couldn't be happier about it. She opened the door that led to the courtyard she knew him to be in, smiling upon seeing his back turned to her. He knelt on the grass, his hands stretched out in front of him. Around him was a small flock of pigeon-sparrows, and Katara's smile only widened. She loved the way he was so good with animals. It showed his gentle side, revealed how much he cared for and respected each living thing. And it showed him at peace with himself. At first she'd been confused as to why so many birds were suddenly arriving in the Fire Nation, but Aang had explained to her that because it was the warmest place on the planet, they migrated towards it when it got cold in the North during the winter. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Shhh." He whispered, indicating for her to be quiet so as not to disturb the birds. As she crept closer, she noticed that Aang had a handful of crumbs and that the pigeon-sparrows were sitting in his palms, eating the food he offered them. She exhaled in wonder, never ceasing to be amazed at how easy it seemed to be for even the most flighty, skittish of creatures to trust Aang. She stepped closer still and slowly, gently, eased herself to sit next to him. But as soon as she began to lower herself to the ground, the birds took flight, landing on the rooftops or spots on the other side of the courtyard.

"Oh no…I'm sorry, Aang…" Katara lamented, instantly regretting her choice to even come close. She looked away, saddened. Who had she thought she was? Not Aang, certainly. Animals didn't trust her the way they did him. And now she'd ruined his afternoon with them. Instead of lamenting about the departure of the pigeon-sparrows though, Aang turned to her and smiled gently.

"It's okay." He said brightly.

"What are you talking about? I just scared away your birds...they don't want me around." Aang put a hand on her shoulder

"That's not true. You just surprised them is all. They'll come back. Here, I'll show you." He emptied half of the crumbs from his hands into hers, surprising her.

"Aang, really? Animals never come to anyone like they come to you. They're scared of me." The airbender just shook his head, grinning.

"No, they're not. The reason they come to me is because I wait for them. That's all you need to do, they'll come on their own if you don't chase them and just sit still. I promise." His bright gray eyes met hers, encouraging her warmly. "You do trust me don't you?" This time, Katara returned the smile.

"Yeah." She scooted closer to him so that their bodies were touching. "Of course." For several long moments, they sat statue still together, not moving a muscle. Katara privately wondered how Aang could be so active in nature, always moving, jumping, bending, flying, running…but at the same time be so patient and so still, barely even shifting as he waited for the birds to return.

"Try not to watch them directly. If it seems like you're interested in something else, they'll be less shy." He told her quietly, noticing that her gaze seemed to be fixed on the rooftops where the birds were perched.

"Well…" she answered, her voice low so as not to startle the pigeon-sparrows, "that shouldn't be too hard considering you're right next to me. You're pretty interesting." She said playfully, causing him to blush.

"Thanks." And so they were quiet again, glancing occasionally at each other, exchanging smiles when one bird finally flew down from its perch onto the grass below. It sat there, cocking its head to either side and chirping softly. But it did not come close yet. Katara could have sworn half an hour had passed before it even dared to hop several feet closer to her and Aang. Her legs were beginning to hurt slightly from sitting in one position so long, and she marveled again at how easily Aang seemed to be able to do it. But she was determined to be patient, for him. Another two birds flew off of the roof to land next to their brave colleague, who had dared to hop just a little closer to the two benders in the center of the courtyard. Then, after eyeing them, its head tilted in curiosity, it spread its wings and flew towards them, landing at Aang's knees. Katara held her breath, afraid if it even heard her inhale it would become frightened again and fly away. But Aang turned his head and smiled at her reassuringly, winking at her. _I told you so._ The bird began to peck at the ground where Aang had scattered some of the crumbs, picking them up with its beak to eat while several other birds came closer, descending from their perches to approach the source of food. Katara was mildly amazed. Despite the fact that she'd just seen Aang surrounded by the feathered creatures, she hadn't entirely believed it when he'd told her they would just as readily approach her if she just sat with him. Another two birds hopped towards her, and to her astonishment, cocked its head forward to peck crumbs directly from her palm.

"Aang." She breathed, awed. He looked at her and grinned.

"See?" He whispered back. She nodded, a smile spreading over her own face as more and more birds gathered around, one going so far as to hop directly onto her open hands. "They like you." He told her fondly, locking his gaze with hers. She blushed warmly.

"You think so?"

"Well, not as much as I do, obviously, but yeah." Aang joked, causing both of them to laugh. The young lovers remained continued to sit and talk quietly until all the crumbs had been eaten and the birds returned to their roosts in trees just beyond the palace walls. And by then, the sun had just begun to set. At last, Katara lifted her arms to hug Aang.

"Thank you." She murmured, kissing his cheek. He returned the embrace happily, feeling entirely at peace with himself and the world. There had been a time not long ago where Katara kissing his cheek would cause him to lose focus for hours and bring on a torrent of worries along with the excitement. _Does this mean she likes me?_ But not anymore. No, now he could simply enjoy what it felt like to receive her affection because he _knew_ she meant it the way he did.

"Any time. See, don't I always tell you you need to have more faith in yourself?" Katara rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully.

"Oh yeah, Mister "I'm not powerful enough, I can't win this war."" Aang chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"It's a good thing we have faith in each other then. Besides…" he said slyly. "If I all I told you was that I was so sure I was gonna win every battle I went into because I was so strong, you wouldn't have said any of those things for me, or hugged me when I was nervous, and you wouldn't think I was half as cute." Katara laughed.

"Oh, I see, this whole time you've been fishing for compliments from me, huh? Very sneaky, Avatar Aang." She poked him in the center of his chest, though her eyes still sparkled with fondness for him.

"Hey, I'd never felt for someone the way I felt for you. What was I supposed to do?" He asked innocently. Katara melted slightly inside and laced her hands with his.

"I don't know, but you certainly are charming." She leaned in to kiss him tenderly before helping him up with a smile.

"Now come on, it's time for _us _to go eat."


	44. Song

**A/N: Happy Tuesday everyone! My life is pretty uneventful right now so I have a lot of time to write but not a lot to say in these notes. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

* * *

Aang shot up in bed just in time to catch a bright flash of lightning illuminate the room, followed almost instantly by a loud clap of thunder. He shuddered slightly. Even though they no longer brought him the terror they once had, thunderstorms were still far from Aang's favorite type of weather. They never ceased to remind him of his fallen people, and despite the fact that he had accepted the fact that he couldn't take all the blame for it, it always caused him to feel a surge of nostalgia for them, and he didn't think that would ever completely go away. Another flash of lightning lit up the room, and this time, Aang noticed that his wife wasn't next to him in their bed, her usual spot empty with the covers pulled back. His body's first reaction was one of alarm, his heart skipping a beat and his mouth running dry. But as he woke more fully, he realized that she had probably just been woken up by the storm just as he had and had gotten up in favor of lying awake in bed. And he couldn't blame her. The avatar swung his tattooed legs off of the bed and traipsed towards the door of the bedroom, opening it just as another clap of thunder shook the temple. He stopped, waiting for the sound to pass before using his earthbending senses on the stone floors to try and discover where Katara was. Toph's earthbending sight would always be infinitely better than his as she would have known exactly where the waterbender was the instant she stepped onto the floor, and Aang had to kneel down and press his palms to the ground before he could gather the faintest idea of where to find her. Fortunately for him, she wasn't far, and he walked to where he knew her to be, opening the door to one of the prayer rooms to see her silhouette illuminated by another flash of lightning. She flinched, and Aang immediately felt drawn to her. He moved towards her, only to hear her voice before he even reached her side. He opened his mouth to say her name, but stopped in mid breath. She was…singing. He halted in his tracks, listening as the last clap of thunder faded. Aang had never heard Katara sing before. But sure enough, here she was. And her voice was beautiful. He scarcely wanted to interrupt her anymore. The song seemed to be a lullaby, he realized, and one of her hands rested on her seven month swollen abdomen. Her eyes were closed, and her breath seemed to catch at the next strike of lightning. Heart swelling with affection, Aang approached her, unable to restrain himself any longer. She was sitting on a cushion on the ledge of a large window, her feet up, and he knelt next to her, placing his hand gently on top of the one she was cradling her belly with. She jumped at the sudden contact, whipping around to look at him, only to be met with a warm smile.

"Oh, spirits, Aang…don't do that." She gasped. He grinned apologetically.

"Sorry." His apology was cut off by another crash of thunder from outside, and he felt Katara's hands tremble slightly. He waited for the sound to fade, and then eased himself behind his wife so that she half sat, half lay between his legs, her back to his chest.

"I didn't know you could sing." He said softly, feeling her shift so that she was sideways in his arms and she could look at him. Even in the darkness of the room, he could see a small blush settle on her cheeks.

"I…I don't know if I can, really. My mom used to sing to me and Sokka when we were little, especially if we were scared at night. And it's just ever since Azula attacked you lightning has sorta scared me." She looked away, embarrassed. "It makes me feel a little better to be able to remember my mom and know that soon…we're gonna have our own baby. I'd like to be able to sing to it too." She finished, a slight smile gracing her features. Aang opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by another rumble and flash from outside. Katara pressed closer to him, so that she could feel his heartbeat through his bare chest. He smiled, putting his arms around her and their unborn child and resting his head against hers.

"It sounds really nice." He told her. At the compliment, her eyes lit up, though she reacted modestly.

"Thanks." Her voice was soft, much like her hair, Aang noted privately, running his fingers through it and feeling as he often did like the luckiest man in the world. Few people saw this side of Katara, timid, trusting, and almost vulnerable. But, her husband recalled with a smile, never completely. Katara was never helpless, and it was often her strength that held everyone together. But sometimes, it was nice to know that he could take care of and protect her as well. And he was the only one she really allowed to do so. He was the exception.

"Katara, I love you." He couldn't help but murmur. She smiled.

"I love you too, Aang." Enveloped in his comforting presence, she didn't flinch or close her eyes as the storm continued to rage outside, instead finding solace in listening to the beat of Aang's heart and enjoying the feeling of him tracing meaningless patterns on her belly. Then, a thought occurred to her.

"Why are you out of bed anyways?" She asked, lifting her head for a moment. Aang shrugged.

"The thunder woke me up. Even though it's been like, five years, I guess I still can't sleep through it. It just makes me miss them and remember them." His voice took on a far away tone as he spoke, but even as Katara sensed him remembering his people, his grip on her seemed to subconsciously tighten, and she squeezed his hand, leaning up to kiss his cheek. She understood, but she was still somewhat surprised.

"Really? The last time I remember you up during a thunderstorm was like, a year after you defeated Ozai." She pointed out, puzzled. She and Aang had been sharing a bed for just over two years now, and she'd never noticed him up during a thunderstorm in any of that time.

"Yeah. I haven't been sleeping through them, I just never got out of bed or anything cuz I didn't want to wake you up." He looked away from her, somewhat ashamed. Here he'd come out to make sure she was okay, and now he was admitting to her that the same thing he was trying to comfort her about upset him as well. To his surprise though, she laughed.

"Look at us." She said. "We're about to be parents and we're both still scared of storms and too scared to tell each other that we're afraid of storms because we don't want to wake each other up. I haven't been sleeping through them either, I just never got up till now because I didn't want to wake _you_ up." Perhaps it was the way she said it that made it seem so ridiculous, but Aang couldn't help but laugh too, even as a low rumble of thunder sounded in the background.

"Yeah. I guess we are kinda silly, huh?" He admitted, grinning. Katara nodded.

"Just a little." She giggled in response. Aang sighed, feeling much better already.

"How come you got out of bed anyways?" He asked curiously. "It's not like the storm's any further away in here."

"I was thinking about my mom. And the baby was kicking so I thought maybe walking around would calm it down…and I didn't want to wake you up with the…singing. But I got tired and came in here to sit down." She hesitated to finish, still seeming embarrassed that he'd walked in on her.

"Well." Aang said. "Why don't we agree that on stormy nights, we shouldn't worry about waking each other up? Since neither of us can sleep, we might as well stay up together." He suggested, now feeling much more optimistic about what had once been one of his greatest fears. Katara nodded, yawning.

"That sounds like a good idea. Everything's better when I'm with you." She said fondly, eyes shining with adoration as she looked up at him from her secure position in his arms. The storm was fading away now, the occasional flash of lightning accompanied by far away rumbles of thunder. And Aang could feel the change in his wife's body. She was relaxed against his chest, her breathing even. Unable to help himself, he placed a kiss on the top of her head, hearing her sigh in contentment and feeling her nuzzle his neck. She felt completely comfortable and safe now, surrounded entirely by the thing she loved best in the whole world holding her so caringly.

"Well, shall we get back to our room now, my darling?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows playfully at her. She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"We shall." She agreed, easing herself slowly onto her feet and wincing at the sudden pain in her ankles and lower back. Aang put his arm around her, allowing her to lean against him for support as they made their way back down the halls of the temple to return to the room they shared. When they arrived, he lifted her onto their bed, causing her to smile fondly and shake her head.

"I can still climb into bed myself, Aang." She laughed. "But thanks, I appreciate it. My feet _have_ been killing me lately."

"Oh, why didn't you say so?" Her husband hopped easily into bed, only rather than lying down next to her as expected, he knelt at the opposite end and guided her feet into his lap.

"Aang." She laughed as he began to knead them gently with his hands, doing his best to massage the soreness and tension out of them.

"Yes?"

"That tickles!" Aang only grinned, continuing his gentle ministrations on her and moving upwards towards her ankles which he noticed had become rather swollen. She winced instinctively when he pressed a thumb against the inside of the area. He felt a sudden pang of guilt at this realization, and looked up from the bed to meet Katara's eyes.

"I wish you didn't have to do this part all by yourself." He sighed. "It's half my kid but I can't do any of this part for you and I hate seeing you in pain because of it." He told her apologetically. Katara only gave him a tired smile, beckoning him to leave her feet alone to come lie next to her. He complied and she took his hand, placing it on her belly instead.

"Don't worry about that. You've had more than enough pain in your life and I know having this baby means the world to you. It does to me too, so I'm more than willing to put up with swollen feet and back pain for a couple months for it. Besides," she smiled. "If this little one turns out to be an airbender, you'll be doing all the training and stuff." Aang chuckled.

"You think that would be painful? I mean, I'm sure it'll be hard work, but, for our kid, I'd do anything."

"Exactly." Katara answered. "Just like this. It's hard work, but it'll all be worth it in the end. I promise." Her last words were swallowed by a yawn and Aang's shifted so that his arm was around her shoulders. He kissed her tenderly.

"I know it will. Now get some sleep." Katara nodded, resting her head comfortably in the space between Aang's chest and shoulder before shutting her eyes. He followed suite, the thunder now almost too quiet to hear as he drifted off.


	45. Envy

**A/N: Hey all! :D. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews :). So, this week I was reading over some of my old chapters and I realized that I have all my cloud babies (Aang and Katara's kiddies) very mixed up in these stories. They have all kinds of different names and ages and everything, and I guess that's kind of okay because this is a series of oneshots and not a continuous story, but I'd like it to have some sense of cohesion. SO from now on, the kids that I wrote in my "Father to Son" fic are the official ones (at least in my stories, I can't exactly control the real show or what we might later find out when Korra comes out.) Tenzin's the oldest, then Asha, and then Kya. And in that one, Katara was pregnant with twins so they might show up in this story too. Maybe once I write the twins I'll give them some of the names of my other made up babies so it makes a little more sense lol. Anyways, now that I've cleared that up, I have to announce that from the 29th (which is next Friday) till August 14th I'm on vacation so there's a chance I won't update. However, we're driving cross country and I'm bringing my laptop with me, so I can probably get some writing done in the car and give you at least one chapter somewhere in the middle of the trip. No guarrantee, but I will try :). For now though, enjoy!  
**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

* * *

Katara was no longer used to the quiet. Since she'd left the South Pole, she had almost constantly been on the move, interacting with various people and rarely finding a moment to be by herself. Not that she could say she minded. Often, when it had been quiet during the journey, it was a bad sign. Tension would linger in the air or someone, _Aang,_ was injured and couldn't speak. But now, it was only because Sokka and Suki had gone out to a local festival for "couple time" and Toph had gone home temporarily to try and smooth things over with her parents. Actually, Katara had just come back from the market herself, leaving Aang the only one in their Earth Kingdom apartment. She was always glad to know that they could for once be alone as often when they went out in public, he would be swarmed by fan girls, especially now that he was growing into a handsome young man in addition to being the most powerful person in the world. Though she knew Aang would never leave her for any of them, it still unnerved her sometimes to be almost physically shoved aside from the crowds trying to reach him. She couldn't help but slightly envy Sokka and Suki sometimes, who could go out and be together whenever they pleased without being recognized or separated from each other. _Speaking of Aang…_Katara got up from the sofa. As much as she was enjoying the peaceful quiet, she always enjoyed Aang more. Before she began her walk towards his bedroom, she pulled her hair out of its braid, knowing how much Aang liked to run his fingers through it. She knocked softly before opening the door just a crack. The avatar lay on his back, his gaze turned towards the ceiling.

"Hey." She said softly, announcing her presence. "You look thoughtful." Aang immediately sat up and smiled, looking at her and beckoning for her to come in.

"A little I guess. It's hard to not get lost in thought when all I want to do is think about you." Katara blushed and smiled shyly.

"I know what you mean." She answered, sitting next to him and lacing her fingers with his. His eyes lit up at the returned compliment and she felt a familiar tenderness in her heart at the sight. Even the smallest of compliments always made him so happy, and it warmed her inside to know that she could give that to him so easily after all the suffering he'd endured.

"What about you?" He asked her suddenly. She looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"You sorta looked thoughtful for a second there too is all." Katara shook her head.

"It's nothing." She didn't want to trouble him with telling him about the jealousy. The last thing she wanted was for him to think he wasn't giving her enough attention, because that wasn't true and she knew that in loving the avatar, she had to be more patient and understanding because while he didn't choose his admirers, he couldn't help but attract them, either. The last thing he needed was to feel guilty about something he couldn't even control. Still, she couldn't lie to him.

"It's just…Sokka and Suki are out at the festival having a good time and sometimes...I feel like we can't do those things because of, you know…all those other girls." She couldn't help the envy that crept into her voice, as much as she tried. Aang frowned softly, instantly feeling regretful, but Katara spoke again before he could answer her. "And there were supposed to be fireworks at the festival. I've always wanted to watch them because we never had them in the South Pole, and we never had time when we were travelling, but I'd rather stay inside with you than make you go out and face all those people." Aang looked down, slightly embarrassed and ashamed. He knew if he apologized to Katara, she would tell him it wasn't his fault, but she certainly deserved better. "And I know you can't really think fireworks are that exciting because you'd already seen so much of the world before we found you. So it's okay, don't feel bad. I'm just happy to get to spend time with you." She added as though she'd read his mind. She'd always been good at that, Aang noted privately to himself. Suddenly though, an idea struck him. He beamed, leaping off of the bed and extending both hands to Katara to pull her up as well.

"Come on." He said eagerly, as she shot him a questioning look, clearly puzzled.

"What are you doing?" Aang just gave her that irresistable grin of his and tugged her gently by the hand as he half ran for the door to the room.

"Just follow me." Katara couldn't help but laugh, reminded vividly of their adventures when they'd first met and how he'd been so eager to show her everything inch of the world. He led her out of their apartment through the back door, shutting it behind him before picking her up bridal style.

"Hold on!" He warned. She barely had time to obey, wrapping her arms around his neck before he jumped with a gust of air onto the rooftop of their apartment. Had she been younger, she might have given a small cry of surprise, but after being with Aang almost non-stop for three years now, she had gotten used to him picking her up and though she wouldn't always admit it, privately enjoyed it.

"Aang." She laughed. "Are we allowed to be up here? Where are we going?" The avatar had proceeded to jump to the next rooftop and then the next, and the next…until they could see the lights from the festival in the town square. "We're not going down there…are we?" Katara asked and Aang felt a tug in his heart as he finally set her down.

"No…but I thought the least I could do was take you to a good place to see fireworks." He said, wanting more than anything to make her happy. She was somewhat right in that he had seen plenty of fireworks in his lifetime, but the look in her eyes when she'd told him she wanted to see them was more than enough reason to forget about that. He _would_ give her a night to enjoy and nothing would spoil it. She beamed.

"Aang…you didn't have to." She told him, touched. He shrugged easily.

"I know." He grinned. "I wanted to…is there something wrong?" He asked, feeling certain he'd seen a slight frown on Katara's face.

"It's kinda complicated." Aang cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

"Come on, how can anything be more complicated than what we've already been through?" He prodded gently, scooting closer to his love so that they could link hands. She smiled slightly, raising her eyes to Aang's and seeing the moon reflected in his pupils.

"It's about what I was saying earlier." She began. No matter how badly she wanted to, she'd never been able to keep secrets from Aang. A look of realization and, just as she'd feared, guilt spread over the avatar's features, and he looked down slightly in shame. Katara hastened to explain. "It's not your fault." She started hurriedly. "I never feel like you're neglecting me, it's just that sometimes I can't help but be…jealous. There are so many other girls after you all the time and even though I know it's silly to even think about them being a problem, it just happens. It hurts when I'm with you and I get pushed away sometimes. And then I think maybe I'm not good enough _because_ I get jealous. A good girlfriend wouldn't even let this get to her and you don't deserve to even have to hear this, you have more important things to worry about. The worst part is, I know you're the avatar and because of that, I know I won't ever have you all to myself, and I can't have a problem with that, because it's selfish to want all of you." She twirled a piece of hair absently, embarrassed. Normally she always encouraged her friends to share their feelings, but this was different. This was something she was ashamed of, and in her opinion, rightfully so. Aang squeezed her hand.

"Katara…I'm sorry. I know this probably doesn't change much, but it bothers me just as much when that happens. But I don't ever want you to feel like you're not good enough, okay? You don't need to think for a second that any of them are better than you. None of them know me like you do. They weren't there to catch me when Azula almost killed me, they didn't get me out of the avatar state or help me find Appa, they didn't teach me waterbending or comfort me when I was scared or any of that. I _need_ you. You've always been there for me and I don't think I could live without you. I can't stand to even think about that. And I know I can't give you all of my time and I wish I could, but I _can_ promise you that you have _all_ of my heart, Katara. There's no one in the world I'd rather be with." He finished sincerely, but he only had a brief moment to examine Katara's face for a reaction before she kissed him chastely on the lips. It wasn't a heavy kiss, but the intimate atmosphere that had been built between them was enough to make Aang's heart race. He blushed.

"I love you so much." She whispered, embracing him tightly and kissing his cheek. Aang closed his eyes contentedly for a moment, taking a deep breath of her scent.

"You know what though?" He asked when they parted.

"What?"

"You're not the only one." Aang admitted rather shyly. In the back of his mind, he realized that it was getting rather late and the fireworks hadn't started yet, and a small part of him began to worry that they'd come too late. Oh, he hoped not.

"What?" Katara's blue eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" She laughed.

"The jealousy thing." Aang clarified.

"Are you crazy? Who do you have to be jealous of? It's not like I have fans flocking me constantly." Katara pointed out. Aang grinned sheepishly.

"You're beautiful, Katara. You don't ever notice other guys staring at you when we go out? I guess that doesn't bother me so much because they're only looking and I can't blame them, but when we go to parties all the noblemen want to talk to you and dance with you and bring you drinks and stuff. Do you know how hard it is to ask you to dance with me before someone else cuts in?" He questioned, seeming so exasperated when he finished that Katara couldn't help but giggle. She twined her fingers with his again. "And then even when I do get to dance with you, there's a whole line of guys just waiting to snatch you up as soon as we're done." Katara looked thoughtful. Aang did have a point. At parties, it wasn't as much of a problem the other way around because while many men were comfortable approaching her as it wasn't uncommon for them to associate with younger women, it was less common for older women to seek out men as young as Aang, even if he was the Avatar. She frowned.

"I guess I didn't think about that." She confessed. "I'm sorry." She leaned her head against his shoulder affectionately. "But you shouldn't worry either. They don't know me like you do. Besides," She smirked. "None of them are even half as charming and handsome as you are, no matter how hard they try." At this, Aang laughed.

"Me, charming? Come on Katara, even though I'm the avatar, we both know I'm not the best smooth talker. Remember the Cave of Two Lovers? And Ember Island? And the one time with the fortuneteller…" He reminded her. Katara only shook her head.

"Don't be silly Aang. The best thing about you is that you're charming without even trying. Just by being so thoughtful and sweet and…_you. _Like tonight. You took me out here even though fireworks aren't anything special to you, just because I wanted to see them." Aang bowed his head, reminded again that there appeared to be no sign of fireworks.

"Actually Katara…" Perhaps it was best to just tell her. Then though, a loud whistling sound followed by a bang that scattered an explosion of red sparks across the sky interrupted him. From beside him, Katara gripped his arm excitedly, pointing with the other as the sky was illuminated once again.

"Aang, look!" She exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. Inwardly, the avatar sighed with relief, and he smiled. _Perfect_. Nothing in the world made him happier than knowing she was enjoying herself with him. The different colors of the fireworks cast a romantic glow across her features, illuminating her already bright eyes.

"Do you like it?" He asked. Katara turned towards him, face alight with joy, and kissed him deeply. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her back, and suddenly the rest of the world didn't matter. Not his many admirers or the noblemen at the parties they went to, only the two of them together and in love on a beautiful night. And he wouldn't have it any other way.


	46. The Future

**A/N: Thanks for all fun trip wishes guys :). This is a pretty typical chapter for me, but I was in a really fluffy "make everything alright for Aang and Katara" mood after reading some rather angsty fanfics over the weekend, so I couldn't help myself lol. Also, much to my frustration my Kataang family has to change again because there was new Korra information released again at comicon! So now Tenzin's gonna have to be the youngest and only airbender (which turns a lot of earlier chaps upside down cuz even though I know I don't have to, I like to write by cannon). Anyways, I'll figure something out. Hopefully I'll be able to write something for you guys next week as well, but until then, enjoy this!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

* * *

Autumn was once again encroaching on the Fire Nation. The war was now two years over, and everything was, needless to say, much calmer than it had been when Aang had first woken from the iceberg all that time ago. Still, he, Toph and Katara had spent the summer in the Fire Nation after Mai and Zuko's wedding, addressing the occasional political issues that arose as well as simply enjoying each other's company. The wedding in particular had made Aang think deeply about his future with Katara. He wanted to marry her. He knew he would never find anyone as incredible as she was and he was certain he would never love another as he did her. But whenever he thought about it, he couldn't help but wonder if such desires were selfish. He travelled often and still had to deal with dangerous, sometimes life threatening situations on occasion, and it was unfair to put her through that. He closed his eyes, recalling with a slight shudder the first time he'd left her alone since the end of the war. It had started off badly enough, with her being angry at him upon his departure because he hadn't wanted her to come with him and get hurt. And then when he'd returned injured, she'd cried and confessed that she'd been frightened for his life the entire time he'd been away. He couldn't stand seeing her that way and knowing he'd caused it. Since then though, she'd gotten calmer about such situations as she grew accustomed to them, and most of the time she still came with him wherever he went, but still. The memory gave him a pang of guilt every time it resurfaced in his mind.

"Are you alright?" None other than Katara herself's voice broke through the cloud of thoughts swirling through his head, and he guessed she must have seen him wince. It was just the two of them on the balcony looking out at the sunset, savoring the last warmth of the day. Compared to the Fire Nation's usual weather though, this could barely be called warmth. While it was by no means as cold as the water tribes, it had been getting considerably cooler and today temperatures had dipped uncharacteristically low in the first cold snap of the season. Aang turned towards the girl who had just been occupying his thoughts. Had it been a different setting he might have told her he was fine and it was nothing, but now was not a time to hide the truth from her. It was quiet, peaceful, and they were together. Besides, she would find out in the end. She _always_ found out in the end.

"I was just thinking about...us." He said carefully, turning to focus his full attention on her. She raised a curious eyebrow.

"Us?" Even that single word coming from her lips made Aang's heart beat faster and gave him the almost irresistible urge to kiss her. _Zuko was right, I have it bad._

"You're not…afraid of the future are you?" He asked. Katara stepped closer to him so she could link their fingers.

"I'm always afraid for you when you go off to do something dangerous, Aang, you know that. But usually? No. I can't imagine anything scarier than what we've already done together." She told him. Aang shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. I mean like, _our_ future, together. What do you think about it?" He questioned. She blushed.

"Oh. Well…why do you ask? What do _you_ think about it?" She countered slyly, giving him the most fleeting of grins that only just let him know what she was doing. He smirked, locking his eyes on hers and giving her his best innocent face.

"I asked you first." Katara gently nuzzled his nose with hers.

"I asked you if you were alright first." She pointed out. Aang sighed, shaking his head, but not without giving her a small, shy smile.

"Fine. It's just that ever since Zuko and Mai got married…I've been thinking about our future. I can't ever imagine myself with someone else, Katara. I love you more than anything and you know that. But I don't want to put any pressure on you. You hate it when I have to leave and there's a higher chance of me dying young than most other guys, and I don't want you to be unhappy if you did spend well…the rest of your life with me." He gulped, blushing as well. They'd talked about love before, all the time. They were together after all. But usually they took the relationship day by day, especially because Aang knew thirteen and fourteen was still too young for marriage. If fate would side with him, he would've liked to propose to her when he was sixteen. As he looked at her, he could have sworn he saw a faint glistening in her eyes before she smiled.

"Aang…of course I do. I mean, we're young now, but you know I feel the same way. Avatar or not, I love you so much. I've told you before, you're more than worth those sacrifices. And I know things get scary sometimes, but we always get through them together. I have faith in you. So don't worry about that, okay?" She squeezed his hand. Aang was still mildly uncertain despite her reassurances, but suddenly decided that it didn't matter right now. The future would come when it did, and then he would be ready for it. So, he nodded and returned the squeeze, leaning forward to kiss her. She leaned into it, wrapping her arms around him to bring him closer. No matter what the future brought, she was glad to have this now and she knew he was too.

When they parted, Aang leaned his forehead against hers, smiling.

"Okay." He sighed. It was only then that he realized that the last light from the sun had disappeared behind the horizon. "We should probably head in." He murmured, but not without slight remorse. Katara frowned slightly but nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so…goodnight, Aang." She whispered, giving him one lass kiss before turning around and reentering the palace.

"Goodnight, Katara."

* * *

Though Katara went to sleep untroubled that night, she woke in the middle of it quite the opposite. She'd seen Aang, but not her Aang. No, this Aang had been dead-eyed and broken, starved half to death and bruised and bloody and there was nothing she could do about it but hold him and cry because her bending wouldn't work and they were surrounded by fire and enemies. She rolled over and curled into a ball, suddenly realizing that it was cold. The blankets were thin as the palace still used summer bedding and the seasons had only just begun to change, but tonight, they simply weren't enough to keep the chill out. Katara sighed, taking a deep, calming breath and taking comfort in the realization that her visions had been nothing but dreams. She shuddered. She hated when this happened, hated that nothing she did seemed to prevent them from coming. She didn't have the nightmares every day, but having them at all disturbed her. She hated thinking about what could have happened or for that matter what still could, didn't want to imagine Aang hurt or worse. Sometimes the relief that he was just fine was enough to bring her back to a more peaceful sleep, but not tonight. The waterbender curled up tighter still in an attempt to warm herself, but it did her little good. Even as the initial panic from the nightmare faded into the back of her mind and she changed positions several more times, her inability to get comfortable kept her awake. In the South Pole, there had been many nights colder, but at least there, she was never without a thick pelt or layers of heavy fabric to keep her warm. _Maybe if…_Katara's thoughts inevitably wandered to Aang and before she could stop herself she found herself swinging her legs out of bed. Aang was warm. He was always warm, no matter where they were. And now, the idea of being near him was too tempting for her to resist. Quietly so as not to wake anyone nearby, Katara gathered the thin blanket she'd been using in her arms and crept out of her own room down the hallway until she reached Aang's. Ever so softly, she pushed his door open, pausing briefly to make sure she hadn't woken him before proceeding to the edge of his bed. She relaxed further simply from being able to see him with her own eyes, peaceful and perfectly alright and released a breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. The moon shone through his window onto his bed, just illuminating his face. She recalled their earlier conversation and smiled to herself. _Forever really doesn't sound so bad._ For once though, they didn't have to make that decision right this very moment. Taking care to make her movements subtle and small, Katara climbed into the bed next to him and tucked herself under his blanket before spreading hers out on top of it. The effect was almost instant. As she got settled, hearing Aang's soft breathing, any trace of cold was gone. As she'd hoped, Aang's body was warm and the combination of both blankets kept that warmth confined in the space shared by the two of them. Though the bed was only made for one, neither Aang or her took up too much room and the somewhat tight fit was cozy rather than cramped. Almost unconsciously, Katara found herself snuggling closer to him, only to see his eyelids flutter slightly before opening. Though she'd seen them many, many times before, she couldn't help the hitch in her breath at the sight of the warm gray orbs she loved so much. They widened in surprise even as he smiled at her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked sleepily. She shrugged.

"I had a nightmare and I couldn't go back to sleep because it was cold. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…" She apologized earnestly. Truly, she hadn't. Aang deserved all the sleep he could get and she knew that better than anyone else. Still, his features softened in sympathy.

"It's okay. It's not like my nightmares have never woken you up. Besides…" He paused, looping an arm around her waist so that they were pressed intimately against each other, chest to chest. "I have been getting a little cold these past few nights. And I never mind having you around." He kissed her, finding himself falling helplessly in love all over again simply by looking at her eyes and the moon reflected in them. Suddenly, he was very glad she'd come. She nuzzled closer, pressing kisses on his cheeks and neck and forehead, cupping his face in her hand when she finished.

"I love you." She said simply. Reaching under the covers, Aang took her free hand, kissing her palm and fingers before he captured her lips tenderly, his heartbeat quickening as she responded, wrapping both of her arms around him and trailing her fingers along his tattoo.

"Love you too." She smiled, tracing his cheek softly. "So much." The two lay together warmed physically and emotionally by each other's presences, Yue shining brightly down upon them. Katara laid her head on Aang's chest, soothed by the sound of his heart beating steadily and he equally as comforted by the feel of her so close as they held each other, sharing an occasional, affectionate kiss or caress.

"You know…" Katara sighed nearly half an hour later as Aang's fingers tangled themselves gently in her hair, eyes alight with adoration for her. However, she had no doubt that she looked equally as starry eyed. She couldn't stop gazing at him. "This makes me wonder how married couples get any sleep at all sharing the same bed every night." Aang chuckled, nodding.

"I know. It's impossible to stop wanting to kiss you when you're right here. Even though I've known you for like, three years now you still feel too good to be true." Katara blushed.

"Tell me about it." She agreed in a whisper.

"Mmm…" Aang nuzzled her gently. "It's a good thing we have time to practice then." He grinned at her slyly. "Maybe if you get cold often enough we'll be able to get used to sleeping this way." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Katara had to bite back a laugh.

"You know, come to think of it…I wouldn't want to trouble Zuko too much by asking for warmer blankets. Do you think you'd be able to help me with that problem?" She asked, feigning innocence. Even though he knew she was only playing along with him, the pleading tone in her question made Aang's heart melt.

"Why, my lady, I'd be more than happy too."


	47. Questions

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm backkk :D. I had a most wonderful vacation and am now ready to start college and hopefully get a job. I'll probably be pretty busy. But I'll still do my absolute best to update once a week, so don't worry :). I wrote this on my trip, and next I'll do ShockingRevelation's requests.**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

* * *

Katara sighed contentedly, wading into the ocean and squeezing the wet sand between her bare toes. She closed her eyes for a moment to listen to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, feeling utterly content. She bended the water absently in circles around her ankles, allowing it to soothe the muscles in her calves and feet. Katara loved bending regardless of where she was or what sources of water were available to her, but there was something she loved specially about the ocean. Perhaps it was the fact that the water was so limitless, or the fact that its salty scent reminded her somewhat of home. Or that the sound of the waves crashing rhythmically on the shore was somehow more soothing than the silence of a lake or the rushing sound of a river. Or maybe, because she had found Aang in the ocean. She smiled at the memory, but also felt privately relieved that the fire nation beaches were much warmer than the ones in the South Pole. She knelt in the wet, warm sand, turning when she heard a familiar set of footsteps behind her.

"Can I sit with you?" Aang spoke before she could even greet him, bringing a smile to her lips.

"Of course." She answered warmly, heart fluttering slightly as he sat so close that their legs touched. She'd always adored how openly affectionate he was. Often, they would simply fall as naturally into conversation as the leaves fell to the ground in autumn, but tonight was not one of those nights. They sat in silence for several moments before Aang cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. Katara laughed, and he gave her a shy grin.

"So…what do you want to talk about?" He asked. She shrugged, still smiling bemusedly.

"I dunno. What do you want to talk about?" She replied in a sing song voice, causing him to share her laughter.

"I dunno." They both laughed, Aang reaching down to link hands with his beloved.

"I know." She said after a moment. Aang looked at her.

"What?"

"Back home whenever we couldn't think of what to talk about, we'd play this game. It's really simple, you just go back and forth asking each other questions about each other. It usually didn't last too long with Sokka because he always asked silly questions and we're siblings so we pretty much knew everything about each other already. But I'm curious to see what it would be like to play it with you." She admitted, smiling softly at the avatar.

"But don't we know each other pretty well too?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Katara shrugged.

"Yeah. But there's still so much about you that makes me curious." She confessed with a slight blush. With that, Aang was sold.

"Alright. You go first, since you suggested it." He agreed happily. Katara looked at her feet, bending the water around her toes as it washed up over their legs.

"Fair enough…when I met you, you didn't want to be the avatar." She began. "How do you feel about it now?" Aang looked thoughtful, if not slightly surprised by her question.

"I guess I'm glad." He said. "More good came out of it than anything really. I got to learn so many new things, and I love being able to bend all of the elements. Even though it's a lot of work and it can be dangerous, I think it also gives my life meaning, you know? I know when I was twelve I said I just wanted to be a normal kid and be free to be whatever I wanted, but as much as I still love it when I can do that, I think I'd feel like my life was sort of pointless if all I ever did was fool around. I love knowing that I've actually helped people and made a difference in the world. Besides…I got to meet so many amazing people I would've never gotten to meet otherwise. Like you." He lifted his eyes to her and smiled brightly, his blush not quite concealed by the darkening skies.

"That's a change." Katara remarked, nudging his tattooed foot with hers under the water. Aang nodded.

"Yeah…it's my turn now, right?" Katara nodded. "Alright…how do _you_ feel about me being the avatar? You always say you love me for being Aang, but I've always wondered if you really liked me being the avatar or not." Aang asked, bending the water in such a way that it tickled his sifu's feet. She laughed.

"That's a complicated question." She said truthfully. "Sometimes…I was angry at the avatar part of you because it put you in danger or pain. Especially before you could control the avatar state. And sometimes it's hard to see people expecting so much of you just because you're powerful, not to mention it gets annoying to watch so many girls all over you because of it. But at the same time, I can't blame them. I admire you so much for all you've done. And I have to admit it's…exhilarating to watch you bend. I love seeing you use the powers being the avatar gives you. And I love seeing you help people. You give me so much to be proud of, Aang. So I guess…the answer to your question is I like you being the avatar too, even though I'd still love you either way." She squeezed his hand, running her thumb over the arrow etched on the back. He gave a contented sigh at her answer.

"I'm glad. Sometimes I worry that me being the avatar makes you unhappy." Katara shook her head.

"I could never be unhappy with you. Besides, you just told me you were glad about it. If it makes you happy, it makes me happy." Aang smiled, privately relieved. One of the things he disliked most about being the avatar was that it gave him less time with Katara, and he often felt sorry when he had to respond to his duty to the world over his duty to her as a boyfriend, though he was learning to better balance the two as time passed.

"Your turn." He grinned, curious as to what she would ask him next. Katara hummed thoughtfully, then glanced at him hesitantly, as though trying to decide whether she should really ask.

"When you tried to run away that time you woke up after Azula shot you…or when you lost Appa, were you angry with me for trying to help you?" She asked delicately. The questions had been in the back of Katara's mind for ever since the incidents themselves, but she'd never had the courage to confront him about them, afraid she would touch a nerve. It was often easier to forget about the times that had been difficult for them, but that didn't stop her from remembering them and wondering about them when her mind was free to roam. Not to her surprise, Aang flinched.

"I hurt you didn't I?" He didn't really need to ask, for the look on Katara's face when she'd asked had told him enough and he'd been fairly sure of it even when the incidents she was referring to had actually occurred. And he regretted it more than anything.

"…yes. It scared me, Aang. I was confused and I wasn't used to you turning away my help like that." She admitted softly. "But it's still my turn. You have to answer me." Aang nodded, swallowing against the lump of guilt that had formed in his throat.

"No. I wasn't specifically angry at you. I was just lashing out because I was upset and frustrated and I hadn't learned to control myself yet, especially because I wasn't used to feeling angry. I was just being stupid and immature and I'm really sorry, Katara. I never wanted to hurt you. I should've thought before I treated you that way." He looked away. Katara shook her head. It hadn't been her intention to make him ashamed about the past.

"Hey. Don't feel too bad, it's not like I never hurt you. And I'm sorry for that too. How about we just call it even? We've both hurt each other, but sometimes…that's what happens when you really care about someone. We can't dwell on it." Aang sighed and nodded, giving her a weak smile.

"I guess you're right. What's it like to have parents?" He asked. The sudden return to normality surprised Katara slightly, but nevertheless, she answered him.

"It's wonderful. From what you've told me about Gyatso, you already know what it's like to have a father. Having a mother…well, there's a reason why I miss her so much, Aang. A mother is always there for her children. She's always there to hold you when you cry, no matter how old you get. She loves you no matter what, even if you argue sometimes. She teaches you right from wrong, and she never, never leaves you." Katara unconsciously grasped her necklace, growing slightly misty eyed. Aang couldn't help but feel both awed by the bond Katara shared with her mother despite the fact that she'd been gone for years, and a little saddened that he'd never had that.

"Do you know what happened to your parents, Aang? Did the monks at least tell you about them?" She questioned. Aang frowned, and Katara knew instantly that she'd once again touched a sensitive spot. Still, he answered her.

"Yeah. For most kids, the temples were sort of like boarding schools. Sometimes, their parents would visit them or bring them gifts. But some parents never did. Gyatso said some parents gave their kids up to the temple as soon as they were weaned and never saw them again because it was too hard to be a parent to them from a distance or something. And that's why I never knew mine. Mine…never came. I don't even know who they were. I don't think about it much anymore, but I used to wonder why my own mother didn't want me, and I guess that's part of the reason I got so jealous when you guys found Bato that one time and hid the letter from your dad." He half expected Katara to go sour at the memory, but instead, she leaned over and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. He felt instantly warmed by the gesture of affection and hugged her back just as tightly, relishing the feel of her soft, long hair against his cheek and her heart beating against his chest. As long as she was around, he knew, he would never want for the love of anyone else.

"I can't possibly imagine what that must feel like, Aang." She murmured. "But anyone who doesn't or didn't want you has to be crazy. Don't ever think that it's your fault, okay? You have to promise me you won't blame yourself for that." Aang gave a deep sigh, closed his eyes, and nodded over her shoulder, tightening his grip on her.

"Okay." He agreed. "I promise. Thanks, Katara." He said earnestly, feeling overwhelmingly grateful for her. She'd always been wonderful at making him feel less alone, cared for in a way that he'd missed when he was younger. They parted from their embrace and Aang smiled slightly. "I guess if someone as amazing as you wants me, I can't be all that horrible." Katara laughed, nudging him playfully.

"Like I said, anyone who doesn't want you has to be crazy. I haven't thought twice about it ever since we started this thing." Aang beamed, and felt the sudden urge to kiss her, but he was interrupted when she spoke again. "Anyways, it's your turn again." She grinned, postponing what they both knew would come sooner or later.

"What was the happiest moment of your life?" He asked, trying to lighten the game. Katara instantly smiled.

"The first time you we said we loved each other." She answered easily, as though this were the simplest question in the world. Aang's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. That meant the world to me. How about you?" Aang only laughed.

"I think you know the answer. Either that or when you kissed me outside of Iroh's teashop. You have no idea how long I'd fantasized about that." The gazed at each other fondly for a long moment, before Aang took his turn again.

"Katara…why _do_ you like me if it's not for the avatar stuff? For the longest time I thought you liked guys like Jet. I'm nothing like him, even if he hadn't betrayed us." Katara's eyes softened. She hadn't thought about Jet in years, and felt a strange pang in her chest at the mention of his name. Privately, she wondered how much her old feelings for the leader of the Freedom Fighters had troubled Aang. She sometimes found herself jealous of girls Aang didn't even know or show signs of affection for, so she couldn't imagine what it would feel like if she were to see him blushing around or flirting with a girl he actually knew.

"Jet was a stupid, childish crush." She began carefully. "It wasn't based on any connection we had or special bonds or anything. He was tall, dark and handsome and that's what most little girls fantasize about. That, and he was strong and against the fire nation, which as you know appealed to me back then. But that's not the kind of thing that grows into love. I love you because you're dedicated, caring, sweet, brave, fun, compassionate, lively…we can talk about anything and you make me feel comfortable and safe. I've never been afraid that you'd turn your back on me. I trust you. _That's_ what grows into love. You were my best friend, and there was never anyone else that could take that place." She told him sincerely, placing a hand on his knee and giving him a smile that never failed to make him melt inside. "What I want to know." She continued. "Is why you chose me." Aang laughed.

"How could I not choose you, Katara? You were the first girl, and still one of the only, that ever cared about me. Not to mention you're all the things you said I was. You've always been there to support me even when it looked bad for us and things got tough. You've shown me so much kindness, more than I can ever repay you for. There was never anyone else." He took both of her hands as she met his gaze, staring deeply into his eyes.

"I love you." She told him simply, and he could tell that now they were coming to the moment he'd tried to initiate several questions earlier. "A lot." He grinned at her.

"I love you lots too. And…since it's my turn to ask you a question…can I kiss you?" They hadn't asked permission to kiss each other in nearly two years, so Katara laughed as she nodded, leaning in to capture her beloved's lips with her own and wrap her arms around him, pulling him close. The kiss was sweet and sensual, and before long Katara found herself being lowered gently downwards so that she was laying on her back in the sand, Aang above her. He pulled back to kiss every inch of her face and neck, stopping just above her white chest wrap and kissing her lips again before rolling to the side to lay beside her. Their faces were both flushed, eyes wide and lips curved upwards in smiles as the moon shone down on them."Wanna stay out here tonight?" Aang asked suddenly. The suggestion seemed so out of the blue that it took Katara a moment to respond. But then she looked at Aang's shining eyes, the stars above them, and the line that marked the horizon where ocean met sky, and found that she didn't really want to be anywhere but here.

"Yeah, I'd like that." She agreed as Aang helped her up, brushing the sand off of her back and out of her hair for her before erecting an earthen tent only several paces back from where they had laid in the shallows.

"After you." He said kindly, allowing her to enter their impromptu shelter before himself. They spread out their clothes to use as bedding for the night. They lay together then, Aang wrapping an arm around Katara's waist and pressing his lips against hers before she nuzzled against his collarbone and soon fell into slumber, Aang following soon after.


	48. Playtime

**A/N: One week till college! I'm extremely pumped. This is ShockingRevelation's request :). Sorry it's a little late in the day. You probably heard, but there was an earthquake in VA, not too far from where I live (in Maryland), which was pretty exciting (no one was hurt). Anyways! Hope you likey.**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

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It was dusk when Aang and Katara took their youngest child, Tenzin to play in one of Ba Sing Se's many parks. It had been a long day for both of them and Aang always tried to make sure that he gave his children attention at least equal to the amount he put into his duties as the avatar. As soon as the small playground was in sight, Tenzin elevated his pace from walking to running as fast as he could with the help of his airbending, giving a cry of delight and launching himself onto the wooden swings. His parents laughed, their son's youthful energy very much reminiscent of Aang's, who looked on wistfully as Tenzin tried to swing as high as the apparatus would allow him.

"Dad!" He called out, and Katara nudged him, smirking as Aang pretended to sigh before responding to Tenzin's summons and positioning himself behind the swing.

"Alright Ten, you ready?" He asked as the boy slowed himself down.

"Yeah! I wanna go reaaally high!" He said eagerly, causing Katara to laugh. Aang shot her a look, before grinning.

"You sure? We wouldn't want you to fly away." Tenzin sighed impatiently.

"Yes! I'm not scared!" He declared confidently.

"Okay." Aang agreed at last, taking hold of the chains and pulling his son backwards before placing his hands on Tenzin's back and running forwards with him, slipping under the swing when it was high above his head after releasing it.

"Wheee!" Tenzin shouted as he soared into the evening air. Aang moved to stand beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist as they watched their youngest play. After a bit, he seemed to tire of the swings and leapt off while it was still in motion, using his basic airbending skills to slow his descent before landing safely on his feet and scampering off to play on the slides and climbing ladders with several other children he was acquainted with. Katara shook her head.

"I'll never understand that freefalling thing you guys seem to love so much." She told her husband as the two of them seated themselves on a bench facing the play area so that they could talk and watch simultaneously. Aang chuckled.

"And I'll never understand why you don't love it. But that's alright. I don't love stewed sea prunes." He shrugged before smiling softly. "But I still love you." Katara took his hand.

"Aww, aren't you sweet? I love you too. I guess the freefalling thing sorta comes with the airbender package, huh? Did they have playgrounds when you were little?" She questioned. Aang thought back to his childhood, trying to recall what Katara was asking. Truth be told, as much as he missed the airbenders, the memories of his youth before waking up from the iceberg were beginning to grow slightly faint.

"Not as nice as these, but sorta." He answered after a pause. "Our swings were all wood and rope so you couldn't go as high, but the only airbenders that played on them anyways were the ones that were too young to really use their bending, Tenzin's level I guess. If an airbender already knew how to use his glider, well, the swings weren't really much in comparison. But we had some of this other stuff. What about you? Did you have anything like this before…" He stopped. Despite the fact that Katara had mostly healed from her painful past, he still tried to tread lightly when it came to mentioning the days before her mother had been killed. She shook her head.

"No. It was too cold to be outside for long, remember? We couldn't really climb very well with our mittens on. As for swings…wood and rope ones would probably freeze and rot with all the snow, and the metal ones would've been too cold to hold onto." She explained. Aang nodded, suddenly curious. He hadn't really thought about it at length before, but now that they were on the subject, he wondered how the children in the Southern Water tribe _had _entertained themselves before the raid.

"So…did you just go penguin sledding all the time?" He asked. Katara laughed.

"Well, if I was as hyper as _you _were when I was a kid, I'm sure I would've." She said, nudging him playfully. Aang grinned. "But no. Sometimes I did, of course, but we found other ways to say occupied too. When I was younger, Sokka and I would play hide and go seek in the village or have snowball fights. It was harder when we had to stay inside but…my mom was always really good at finding ways to keep us entertained." Katara paused and gave Aang a sad smile. He wrapped the arm closest to her around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze, encouraging her to continue. He remembered a time where she would look far off into the distance upon mentioning her mother, but now, ever since the birth of their first child, she looked to him instead. And he would always try his best to comfort her, flattered that she was willing to share the most sensitive parts of herself with him. She closed her eyes and inhaled her husband's familiar scent as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Anyways." She continued. "I had a couple dolls that she'd given me from when she was a girl, and we'd play together when Sokka and I had gotten in an argument or something. She was always great at storytelling, so we had a lot of fun. And then…before we went to bed at night or when we got snowed in, she or Dad would always tell us stories."

"What kind of stories?" Aang asked, genuinely curious. Needless to say, the time before she'd found him in the iceberg was the time of Katara's life that he knew least about, and he was always eager to learn more about her and what her life had been like before he'd known her.

"All kinds." Katara answered, smiling at the memory. "Stories about her childhood, traditional water tribe stuff…_Avatar _stories." She winked. Aang sat up visibly.

"Avatar stories, huh?" He pressed. He knew there had been all sorts of stories about his whereabouts circulating throughout the world during his disappearance, but this was particularly intriguing. What_ had_ Katara thought of him before they'd met? She giggled and nodded.

"Yeah. Lots about Kuruk of course, and other avatars who saved the day. It was always comforting to know that the world had gone through dark times before and gotten through alright in the end. It made it feel like the war wasn't really so bad, you know?" Aang inhaled deeply, feeling a familiar twinge of guilt, and letting the breath out when Katara touched his knee and smiled at him.

"What did your mom think about the odds of me coming back?" He wondered aloud.

"She always had hope that you would. Where do you think I got it from?" His wife grinned, subconsciously tracing the arrow on the back of his hand. Aang feigned a hurt look.

"I dunno, I was hoping I was just so good at sweeping you off your feet that you just naturally believed in me." He said slyly. Katara scooted closer to him.

"Hmmm. Well, maybe that was part of it." She hummed. They laughed together before Aang continued, shaking his head.

"No, you're right. I'm glad someone had faith. I wish I could've met her." He said, returning to their more serious conversation.

"Me too." For a moment both benders looked out over the playground, watching Tenzin race an Earth Kingdom boy from the swings to the slides and back. "I just hope I'm making her proud. I try to be as good a mom as she was, but sometimes I don't know if that's possible." She confessed. The sun had almost set now, casting a soft golden glow on the two of them.

"I know your mom was wonderful Katara…but why would you think you wouldn't be able to live up to that? I don't think any kid could ask for a better mother." He meant the words. In all of his time being a father, he couldn't recall a single situation in which he would've handled his children any differently than Katara did.

"Well, sometimes I feel like I don't give them enough attention. Especially since Tenzin was born. I love him so much, but he can be such a handful and sometimes I feel like I can't keep up, not to mention take care of the other two at the same time." She laughed. Aang chuckled, leaning his head against hers.

"I know, it's another airbender thing. Sorry." He apologized, smiling sheepishly before kissing her forehead, earning him an appreciative smile. "But that's what I'm here for, right? We do all of this together for a reason. Besides, three kids is more to keep after than two, so you have to cut yourself some slack if you're gonna compare yourself to your mom." He pointed out. Katara relaxed against him, nodding.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She agreed, lifting her eyes to his and feeling the sudden urge to kiss him, slightly disappointed when she recalled that they were in public and she couldn't do that in _exactly _the way she'd like to right at that moment. But, she decided as she looked back at the playground, finding Tenzin, their lovable handful of a son, that could wait. For now, she was simply grateful to for the wonderful family she and Aang had built together and for the fact that she was sure that somewhere, her mother was watching over them.


	49. Obstacles

**A/N: I'm sorry this is over a week late :(. Hurricane Irene knocked out power for a little, but as you may have guessed, that's not the only reason this is late. Last week was my first week of college and luckily, I'm not completely overwhelmed with work, but it was definitely a transition after my 3 months of almost nothing but fun free time. Anyways, there will probably be some weeks where I update late or miss an update, but I'll still write and I will promise at least 2-3 updates a month if not more depending on my schedule. Anyways, to make up for last week, this chappie is longer than most =]. So I hope you like.**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

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When the song ended, Katara curtsied to her partner and excused herself, politely declining the other invitations to dance she received on her way to the other end of the ballroom. While she'd never been the type of girl who needed to be shrouded in extravagance and finery to have a good time, she did enjoy these parties, where the music and dancing was lively and she was free to talk to and go where she pleased without being restrained to a particular seat. This party in particular gave her a sense of relief. At the last few formal events she'd attended with Aang, she had spent the bulk of her time trying to avoid a young northern water tribe boy by the name of Haku, who reminded her rather vividly of Hahn, Yue's betrothed. He had been pursuing her almost relentlessly whenever they attended the same gatherings or celebrations, and had recently asked for her hand in marriage. At sixteen, she had grown into a beautiful young woman that many young men had come to covet. Most respected her relationship with the avatar, but some, like Haku assumed that as she was not yet bound to Aang by marriage, she was fair game. Needless to say, she'd refused him and tried her best ever since to avoid him, hiding herself in large crowds or occupying herself by dancing with or talking to people whenever she attended these events. Now though, she was slightly out of breath from dancing and beginning to feel rather warm from all the movement and people around her, so she decided it would be a good time to step outside for a breath of fresh air. Katara managed to squeeze through the last throngs of people and stepped with a sigh of relief onto the Earth King's balcony, walking to the edge and leaning against the railing to look out over the city. Away from the party, it was a quiet evening, several stars twinkling in the distance and most Ba Sing Se citizens already asleep. Katara smiled softly. Despite the horrible memories she held of her first visit to the city, she had come to like it quite well. Most people were friendly without being too overzealous at the site of her and her friends (namely Aang) as they were used to important or well-known people staying in or passing through their city, and there was never a shortage of things to do. Picking up the skirts of her formal dress, she made her way along the balcony, which wrapped around the entire palace, to the back of the massive but beautiful structure so that she could look down into the gardens below, which were lit elegantly with paper lanterns and decorated with several fountains and sculptures. Behind her, the ball was still in full swing, but suddenly, she didn't want to go back. Right now, nothing seemed more tempting than retrieving Aang and going down for a stroll in the gardens to escape the noise and stuffiness. Her heart rate quickened at the thought of being alone with him, being able to gaze, uninterrupted, into the depths of his gray eyes, kissing his smiling lips…before she could stop herself, Katara had turned around, ready to find the avatar to satisfy her desire for his company. She did not, however, come face to face with her beloved as she faced the ballroom again. Rather, Haku of the Northern Water Tribe stood in her path, causing her to jump backwards slightly in surprise before scowling at him. She had long ago dropped her air of polite refusal of him and did not feel obligated to act respectfully towards him when he refused to do so for her. She tried to move past him, muttering an irritated "excuse me," but he refused to let her pass, using his greater size to his advantage to obstruct her path. She stopped, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering at him.

"Please let me through." She said impatiently. "I need to find Aang." Haku however, did not step aside. Instead, he advanced on her, forcing her back to the balcony rail and trapping her there with his arms on either side of her.

"Don't worry about Avatar Aang. There are plenty of eligible women to serve as his consort." He paused. "The only thing you should be concerned about is finding a suitable husband for yourself." It took all of Katara's willpower to not kick Haku and undoubtedly make a scene.

"Luckily," she began evenly. "Neither of us have to worry about either of those things because we have each other." Haku laughed mockingly.

"Oh, do you? And you believe that the two of you would be a suitable couple? You're Water Tribe, Katara. It only makes sense for you to marry one of your kind. What does the avatar know about our traditions and culture? He's only a boy. I, on the other hand, have already achieved very high standing in our tribe and can provide for you." He said pompously.

"I'm glad to hear that. Perhaps you could use your high standing on some other water tribe girl though, surely I couldn't live up to your standards." Katara snarled sarcastically in reply.

"Oh, but you do. All I need is a beautiful wife by my side to complete what I already have. This, you see, ought to be the easiest part, wouldn't you agree?" He stepped closer so that their bodies were touching, one hand reaching out to grab her wrist and the other caressing her side. He bent his head so that his lips brushed over her ear.

"Marry me, Katara." She shivered in disgust, wrenching free of his grasp and bending a stream of water from one of the trees behind her. Before she could attack however, Haku stepped backwards abruptly.

"Don't you think this is a bit odd, Haku? There's a ball going on inside and I can't imagine what could be so urgent that you need to be so close to my daughter right this very second." Katara was flooded with relief upon seeing her father before her, his hand rather roughly gripping Haku's shoulder, Aang on his other side.

"I was just thinking, Chief Hakoda," Haku began nervously. "Surely you want your daughter to marry someone of status and I-" Hakoda didn't let the boy finish, his blue eyes alight with anger in a way that reminded Aang of Katara's when she was upset. Despite his being the avatar, Aang would have been deathly afraid to be in Haku's position at that particular moment. Several other guests of the ball had gathered and were looking on curiously from where the ballroom opened onto the balcony.

"Surely someone of your standing is well educated on how to treat a young lady. When I was your age, if a boy sought courtship from a girl, he treated her with respect. He did not pin her to a wall or force her to do anything against her will. He also respected her courtship status if she was already seeing another man." His voice grew louder, his grip on Haku's shoulder tighter as his eyes flashed between his daughter, Aang, and the offender. Haku's hands were trembling.

"Sir I'm sorry if…I only meant that-" He fumbled. But Hakoda ignored him. "And on another note," He continued. "Only a fool would try to come between the avatar and his waterbending master. It's quite arrogant to believe that a respectable young lady such as my daughter would accept someone with such little common sense. Now, why don't you return to the ball? I believe our discussion here is over. I expect to never see you come near my daughter again." Aang was positive he'd never seen Hakoda so angry, but the chief's features softened when Haku, with one last shouldering look at Katara and Aang, left the scene to return to the ball and the small crowd that had gathered round began to disperse, muttering amongst themselves. Katara flushed in embarrassment as her father shook his head.

"Sometimes I wonder what they teach these boys in the Northern Water tribe." He said in disgust. "Did you come out here alone, Katara?" Katara nodded.

"I didn't even know he was here, Dad." She answered, feeling further at ease when Aang slipped an arm around her shoulders. Hakoda nodded.

"I know you didn't want to make a scene, but if he comes near you again, don't wait to attack him. I don't trust him. And take Aang with you if you're going somewhere alone at an event like this." He advised, gently putting a hand on Aang's shoulder. The pair bowed their heads in agreement.

"I'll be careful." Katara told him. "Thanks, Dad." Hakoda smiled softly, stepping forward to embrace his daughter gently.

"What am I here for?" He sighed. "Sometimes I forget how quickly you're growing up. But if you don't mind, Aang, I'd like to talk to you in private for a bit." Aang's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he nodded, squeezing Katara's hand and giving her a look that promised he'd return soon before following Hakoda to the staircase that led down to the gardens.

"What is it?" He asked, though he already had some idea. He knew how important family was in the Water tribes, and the role they played in a couple's courtship and marriage. To his surprise, Hakoda laughed.

"Don't look so nervous, Aang. I wouldn't talk to you the way I talked to Haku." He jerked his head towards the balcony from which they'd come. Aang felt slightly relieved, though he hadn't been expecting to be scolded either. "But I do want to talk _about_ that." He explained. Aang nodded patiently, listening. "I'm sure you're aware that Katara's of age to get married now. And I'm also sure you know how valuable she is, not just for her beauty, but for her standing." He began. "Haku is more extreme than most boys, but I'm sure there will be other persistent young men to come after Katara now, as much as I hate to think about it. She won't accept anyone but you, but that doesn't mean other men won't badger her and try to pressure her, and I'd like her to go through as little of that as possible." He looked at Aang.

"Do you want me to propose to her now?" The avatar asked. If now was the best time, he'd do it without hesitation. He knew that he could never love anyone the way he loved her, but while Katara was of marrying age, he wasn't and he didn't know exactly what was considered appropriate in the Water Tribes.

"Whenever you feel ready Aang. I'm not here to rush you, I just thought you should know. And…I didn't want to say this in front of her, but I do want you to keep an eye on her. You're around her more than I am now and you're stronger. I know she can take care of herself, and I'm not afraid anyone will hurt her, but they'll be less likely to pester her in the first place if they see her with the avatar. I just want both of you to be comfortable and happy." Aang smiled.

"Thanks. Your trust means a lot to me. I promise I won't let anyone hurt Katara." He said earnestly. In truth, he looked up to Hakoda a great deal. He was exactly what a father should be to his children, and Aang had no doubt that he'd been a great husband while his wife had been alive as well. Almost as though he'd read his mind, Hakoda smiled sadly.

"I'm glad to hear that. I wish I'd done a better job of that with Kya." He sighed. Aang felt a pang of regret.

"I know. I wish I could've saved my people too." He sympathized. "But a really wise guru told me that when we lose someone we love, they never really leave us. Our love for them just gets reborn, in a way. Besides, from what Katara and Sokka told me, you were doing your best to protect them. I'm sure that's what your wife would've wanted." Hakoda nodded, smiling faintly.

"You're very wise for your age, Aang." He commented. Aang only grinned.

"I dunno. I just consider myself lucky that I've had so many great people in my life to help me understand all this. I'd be nothing without Katara." He stated earnestly. Hakoda smiled.

"She has grown into an incredible person. You really do love her, don't you?" Aang was caught slightly off guard by the bluntness of the question, but he nodded vigorously.

"So much. She's…she's everything to me. She's the most wonderful person I could have ever hoped to be with." He answered without hesitation.

"I'm glad she chose you then. You certainly have my blessing for whenever you're ready. But for right now, why don't you go back to her? She's probably waiting for you." Hakoda nudged Aang gently in the direction of the stairs that ascended to the balcony. The avatar smiled.

"Thanks Hakoda. I won't let either of you down." Hakoda followed Aang up the stairs and winked at him before returning to the ballroom, leaving the airbender alone with Katara, who still leaned against the railing, looking out over the gardens. He touched her arm gently to let her know he had returned.

"Are you okay?" She turned towards him and leaned into his touch, allowing him to slip an arm around her.

"I'm fine. Just annoyed and a little frustrated." She sighed

"What did he do to you exactly?" Aang asked. The thought of another man handling her the way he'd seen Haku doing was deeply unsettling to him. He couldn't stand the idea of anyone treating her badly. Katara rolled her eyes.

"The usual. He tried to prevent me from going to find you and he told me I should marry him. I don't get why people can't respect that I love _you._ I don't _want_ anyone else. Is that so hard to understand?" Her voice rose in exasperation and she tensed visibly, letting her breath out in a shaky sigh and gripping the railing tightly. Aang recognized the tell-tale signs of impending tears and felt the familiar dipping sensation of guilt. Hakoda had been right. "I'm tired of being chased like I'm some prized animal, Aang. I just wish it would stop." Aang drew her into a tight embrace, brushing his lips softly over hers in an attempt to soothe her. Then though, he had an idea. He grinned, pulling back from Katara and taking her hand.

"Come on." He said abruptly, "I think I know how to fix this."

Katara had no idea what Aang was planning when he pulled her eagerly but gently towards the center of the ballroom. Her confusion only deepened when cleared his throat, gathering the attention of those around him. Soon, those people were shushing their neighbors, leaving the room almost silent in a matter of minutes.

"I have an announcement to make." Aang declared evenly, causing a wave of murmurs to move through the crowd.  
"Aang." Katara hissed. "What are you doing?" What could Aang possibly have to announce that she didn't even know about? The avatar only winked at her and smiled before continuing.

"I'm happy to say that Lady Katara and I are officially engaged." Katara felt herself flush deeply, and suddenly it was far too hot in the room. _What?_ She glanced around in confusion, caught completely off guard. How could she be engaged without even knowing it? When had Aang decided this without even asking her? Then though, as she looked frantically at him in a silent plea for answers, she caught an awfully familiar twinkle in her beloved's eye. She could have laughed aloud were it not for the swarms of people that were pushing far too close for comfort. Aang stayed for a moment, accepting various congratulations and questions before motioning for her to follow him as he made his way out of the room again, this time into one of the palace's vast hallways. When they were free of the crowds, he broke into a run.

"Aang!" Katara laughed, hardly able to keep up with him. He only gave her that smile that made her melt and scooped her into his arms, continuing his pace and rounding several corners before stopping before a door, pushing it open to reveal a narrow stairwell with several windows allowing moonlight to shine through. "I can't believe you just did that!" She exclaimed as he shut the door behind them, but her smile told Aang she was anything but upset. He grinned sheepishly, shrugging as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hey, I couldn't let people keep making you uncomfortable. A guy's gotta protect his lady, right?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed again, eyes dancing bemusedly.

"I didn't even know you _could_ lie that convincingly." She commented. Though it was dark, there was just enough moonlight coming through the windows for Katara to see his blush.

"Not to you I can't. I gave up on that a long time ago. This is different." He told her, pulling her down gently to sit next to him on one of the steps. Katara laughed.

"You are something else." She smiled, shaking her head. They were silent for a moment as they caught their breaths. Then, eyes shimmering, Katara took both of Aang's hands and kissed him soundly, feeling him shudder in response as he returned it. She pressed closer to him, her hands wandering upwards to grip the back of his robe and his tangling themselves in her hair, his heart beating loudly against her chest. "Let's not go back. I'd rather stay here with you." She said softly when they parted to breathe, blue eyes glittering with a combination of mischief and yearning. Aang beamed.

"You read my mind." He cupped her face, gazing at her fondly before leaning in to capture her lips again. He closed his eyes, his chest suddenly aching with what he could only define as an insatiable need to be with her, despite the closeness they already had. Perhaps announcing their engagement was a better idea than he'd given himself credit for, he thought. He was sure now that he wouldn't be able to wait any longer to start making a betrothal necklace for her.


	50. Spirit Stories

**A/N: New chapter :D. Have any of you heard the news about the post S3 avatar comic book coming out in Jan? I'm so excited! I just hope it doesn't limit the possibilities for writing potentially cannon fanfiction, cuz then I'd have nothing else to do with my life lol. Speaking of cannon, the bit in here about what happened after Azula shot Aang is cannon according to avatarwiki. I'm guessing that was included in another comic book, so just in case (like me) you guys haven't read those, I'm not making it up. That's about all I have to say for now though, so I hope you enjoy!**

I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. 

* * *

The hearth fire burned warmly, casting soft shadows on the group of friends sitting around it. It was autumn in Kyoshi, and the island's residents were expecting the first snow fall soon as the summer months were always very short. It was not yet cold enough to wear a parka, but certainly not warm enough to go outside in only a single layer of clothing. On this particular evening, Aang and his friends were together in one of the main rooms of the same inn they'd stayed in on their first visit, though this time Sokka was staying with Suki in her home as they had recently gotten engaged. The night was somewhat reminiscent of the one on which they'd met Hama, as they were exchanging scary stories and legends from where they'd grown up. So far, Toph's story, about certain men in Gaoling getting bitten by wolf bats and transforming at night into bloodsucking predators themselves, had been the scariest.

"I've got one." Suki stated. "It's a spirit story." Sokka's shoulders slumped, but his fiancé only grinned.

"What's wrong Sokka, you're not scared of the spirits are you?" She teased.

"No! I just…agh, never mind. Just tell it." Sokka grumbled, causing the rest of the group to laugh. Still, he smiled faintly as he took the warrior's hand, feeling her scoot closer to him.

"Alright. Have any of you heard of Koh, the face stealer? You must've, Aang." Suki began. Aang, doing his best not to shudder at the memory, nodded.

"Yeah, we've met." Katara peered curiously at him, but he gave her an "I'll tell you later" look to allow Suki to continue.

"Anyways, in case Aang hasn't told you, Koh is a spirit that steals people's faces. Luckily, like most spirits, he can't usually come down out of the spirit world. When Kuruk was the avatar though, he stole his wife, Ummi's face. As you know, after Kuruk died, Kyoshi was the avatar." She paused, and Aang was already beginning to feel a bit queasy. Though the time between his getting shot by Azula's lightning and waking from his coma was very faint in his memory, he knew he wouldn't forget Koh's attempt to steal _his _face. The rest of his friends were silent, waiting for Suki to continue.

"After Kyoshi left this island to defeat Chin the conqueror in another part of the Earth Kingdom, people around here got a little scared because they'd gotten used to having the avatar's protection. Crime started to rise, and occasionally people would disappear. It stopped when Kyoshi came back, but as soon as she left again to fulfill her duties, it started again. Of course, people got scared and started blaming each other for what was going on, and in a lot of cases, blaming the spirits, Koh in particular. There was a lot of chaos, and soon Kyoshi had to come back to try and put a stop to it herself. She visited the spirit world to talk to Koh, but in the middle of the night one of the women of the village ran out of her house screaming that Koh had taken her child and that she'd seen him with her son's face. She woke up everyone in the village and people tried to calm her down, but nobody could. No one could find her son, either, and she just kept screaming until Kyoshi came back and told everyone to calm down and that they weren't really being attacked by spirits. Actually, that's how the Kyoshi warriors started. We were a peacekeeping force for the island after Kyoshi herself couldn't watch over it constantly. After that, people stopped disappearing, but the one mother never spoke another word to anyone again, and no one ever did find her son. Still, people say that sometimes at night, if you listen, you can still hear her screaming for her child. Occasionally, people still say they've seen Koh at night, looking for prey." An eerie silence followed Suki's tale, until Toph broke it.

"That _is_ a pretty good one." She admitted.

"It's not true, is it?" Katara asked, biting her lip. Suki only smiled slyly.

"I don't know. The only way to find out would be to walk around outside tonight and see for yourself." Katara shuddered, and next to her, Aang paled.

"Actually, I think I'll go to bed. It's getting late." He announced.

"You're not scared, are you?" Toph prodded, causing Katara to shoot her a glare despite the fact that she knew it would go unseen.

"No, just tired. Goodnight everyone." Aang kissed his beloved's cheek before pushing himself up and retreating into the darkness to find his bedroom. Suki looked worried.

"I didn't actually scare him with that, did I? He's the avatar." She commented. Sokka shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. He said he was tired. He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"I don't know, his heart was going pretty fast. And maybe it's _because _he's the avatar. He does know more about the spirits than any of us." Toph commented. "And even if that wasn't it, it _was_ a pretty good story, don't you think, Katara?"

"Toph!" The waterbender exclaimed. Katara's heart had also been beating faster than usual, but she hadn't exactly wanted that to become public knowledge. The other three however, only laughed.

"It's okay, Katara. It probably is just a legend. But we should all get going to bed, Aang was right, it is late." Suki said. Katara nodded.

"Goodnight, guys. See you tomorrow." Sokka and Suki returned the goodnights before leaving for Suki's home, leaving only Toph and Katara.

"Don't worry too much about Twinkletoes. You know how he gets with the avatar stuff sometimes." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I'll try. Goodnight, Toph." Katara murmured.

"Goodnight Sweetness."

* * *

_If you listen closely enough, you can still hear her screaming._ Not entirely surprisingly, sleep eluded Katara as she lay in her bed. On nights where she felt at peace, the soft noises of nighttime from outside faded into silence and allowed her to fall easily into slumber. But now, it was as though they were magnified a hundred times their normal volume, making this next to impossible. Every sigh of wind and subsequent rustling of leaves or shrubs, even the faint sound of the ocean in the distance was a disturbance. And even though she knew she was a master water bender and Suki's story had taken place centuries ago, she didn't feel secure, no matter which way she tossed or turned in the bed. And what _had_ Aang been afraid of anyways? His reaction had to have had some base in reality or he wouldn't have reacted that way. _Aang_. The thought of him was a slight comfort, and soon she found herself wanting to be close to him. He always made her feel safe, not to mention less alone. She was positive that everything would be better if she could just lay next to him and touch him and feel his heart beating. But it wasn't as if she could really go to see him now. He was most likely trying to sleep, and she didn't want to disturb him. Rolling over, she tried her hardest to silence her thoughts and push Suki's story into the farthest corner of her mind. Unfortunately, she had little luck and sat up with a sigh, feeling her stomach churn from the creaking noise her bed made. That was it, she decided, and swung her feet down. She was going to find-

"Katara?" The waterbender gave a small yelp, nearly jumping out of her skin upon hearing her name and her door open. It only took her a second to realize that it was only Aang himself who had spoken, but that one second of uncertainty had been sheer terror. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just couldn't sleep." Despite his apologetic tone though, Katara heard a slight smile in his voice as he shut the door behind him. She released a breath, mentally shaking herself.

"It's not your fault. I guess Suki's story just got me a little on edge. Toph's blood sucking man-wolf-bat thing didn't really help either. Come over here." She gladly made room for Aang to lie next to her. Her earlier instincts had been correct, having him close eased her greatly. She could breathe again, and she could swear she'd heard him sigh in relief too as they rolled over to face each other.

"You couldn't sleep either?" He asked. Katara shook her head.

"Why couldn't you? Do you know if…is that story true?" She asked, feeling her pulse beginning to pound again. Aang sighed.

"I don't doubt the part about Kyoshi. But Koh doesn't steal people's faces for no reason. He's not a nice spirit, but he doesn't pray on people that are completely innocent. Either that mother did something that Koh thought was bad enough to be punished because of its effect on Kyoshi or the Spirit World, or she was just crazy. And then, it might just be a legend." He answered. Katara instantly relaxed.

"Well, that's good, isn't it? Why were you upset?" She asked gently, folding his hand in hers. He closed his eyes for a moment, then brought her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers.

"Because every time someone mentions Koh, I think about Kuruk and Ummi…and the time he tried to steal my face." Katara blanched.

"What? When? Why? You never told me about that!" She exclaimed, startled. Aang looked down in shame.

"I know. I didn't want to worry you with spirit stuff. You share enough of my burdens as it is and I didn't want to put this one on you too." Katara's heart sank.

"Aang…nothing you could possibly share with me is a burden, you know that. I like being able to help you. I feel worse when I can't. I love you." She assured him earnestly. He smiled softly.

"I know. I love you too, that's why I get scared." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing his hand to linger near her face. "Koh stole Ummi's face because Kuruk let himself become so distracted by his love for her that he neglected his duties as the avatar. Koh tried to steal my face because he thought I'd let the Fire Nation win the war and ended the avatar cycle after Azula defeated us in Ba Sing Se. I'm afraid that if I fail again or do something that looks like failure to him, he'll punish me by trying to get to you." Katara scooted closer to him so that they were touching, briefly pressing her lips to his and reaching up to cup his face.

"Aang…you won't fail. You never do. Besides, I don't think anything you could possibly do now would be enough to override the fact that you saved the whole world when you were twelve. The world couldn't ask for a better, more caring avatar, and I think even the cruelest spirit could see that." Her words washed over Aang like warm water, and powerlessly, he found himself pulled to her, unable to stop himself from wrapping her in a tight embrace, taking a deep breath to stop the tears that had beaded under his lashes from spilling. Then, he pulled back to look at her, a glint of steely determination in his gray eyes. "Even if Koh did think I'd failed, I wouldn't _ever_ let that happen to you. I'll protect you no matter what it takes and I won't ever let him hurt you. I swear my life on that." He said resolutely. Katara only smiled and placed a soft kiss on his shoulder.

"You don't need to do that. The world needs you much more than it needs me." Aang returned the kiss, only he placed his on her forehead.

"That's not true. You're everything to me and I don't know what I'd do without you around. Not to mention you're the one who found me in the first place. But let's not argue about that. Neither of us is gonna win." Katara laughed.

"You have a point. No matter what though, I love you." She laced her fingers with his. "So much." Aang beamed.

"I love you too. So much that I might just ask you if it's alright for me to stay here tonight." He raised a playful eyebrow at her and she giggled.

"Of course it is. I think we'll both sleep better that way." She rolled over, allowing Aang to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her back against his chest. Soon, her breathing evened out, indicating that she was asleep and Aang sighed happily against her hair, nuzzling close. As long as he had her, he knew he would feel like the luckiest man in the world.

"I'll never let you go."


	51. Lingering Doubt

**A/N: Sorry for the rather long wait again, guys :/. College is crazy busy and I just got a job. But as I promised, I shall keep on writing! This is a lovely stress reliever. Not much else to say other than thank you for the wonderful reviews and I appreciate all of you very much :)**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

* * *

It was nearing winter in the northern half of the Earth Kingdom. Though being from the South Pole, Katara wasn't terribly sensitive to the kind of cold winter brought anywhere else in the world, it was much cozier to sit by the fire with Aang than to try to find sleep just yet. It occurred to her then, as she glanced at her beloved, the fire casting a warm light on his face, that it had been almost exactly a year since they'd met. She smiled at the thought, this one year with Aang had been more exciting, meaningful, and thrilling than almost her entire life before it living in the South Pole. Her hand crept down to Aang's so that she could lace her fingers with his, feeling a rush of affection for him.

"I think it's been almost exactly a year since we met." She voiced her musings aloud, and Aang turned towards her, squeezing her hand and smiling.

"You mean since you rescued me." He corrected with a slight laugh. Katara waved a hand dismissively.

"You know what I meant. It's amazing though, isn't it? I feel like I've known you and been with you forever, even though it really hasn't been that long. But at the same time it feels like this all happened so fast…" She trailed off, gazing into the flames of the campfire.

"Is that…bad?" Aang asked hesitantly, drawing her attention back to him.

"No." She said quickly. "That's not what I meant, it's more like…surreal." She smiled, feeling Aang relax.

"Oh." He answered simply. "Good. I mean…I wouldn't want you to feel like I was pressuring you to go into this too quickly or anything." He fumbled with his words slightly. Katara shook her head.

"Of course not." She assured. A small gust of wind blew over them, causing the fire to flicker. The large log Aang had placed over the kindling in hopes that it would catch remained unlit, and the fire beneath it threatened to die.

"I'll get some more wood." He announced, pushing himself to his feet, causing Katara to shiver at the sudden absence of his warmth. He had only made it a few paces from the campfire however, when her voice stopped him.

"Aang." He paused, turning around. "Couldn't you just use fire bending to get that log to light? You don't need to go out and get more wood." His eyes darkened and fell from her face to the ground.

"It's really no trouble." He said. "There's tons of wood around here." Now, Katara knew something was wrong. She got up and gently grasped Aang's wrist, pulling him back to where they'd been sitting.

"That's not the point." He didn't meet her eyes, instead fixing his gaze on his lap, and she softened, touching his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" She asked gently. She had a hunch, but she didn't want to accuse him of anything without knowing that it was true. Still, she had more than an inkling as to what the problem was. Since the end of the war, she hadn't really seen Aang use firebending, at least not when she was around. When he didn't answer her, she cupped his face, bringing him to look at her.

"Come on, Aang." She coaxed. He couldn't possibly ignore the pleading tone in her voice and he sighed.

"I don't like to firebend when I don't have to." He admitted at last. "Especially not around you." Katara took both of his hands in her own.

"Why not? You were doing great before you fought Ozai with Zuko training you. You didn't lose control once. You don't have to be afraid of that anymore." Aang shook his head.

"You don't understand. I just don't like to, okay? I do it when I need to because I'm the avatar and that's my job, but I don't like to do it around you." He said shortly. Katara gave a frustrated sigh.

"You can't do this to yourself. You're not being fair to yourself to waste your talent like that. It's a gift, Aang." He withdrew his hands from hers and looked pointedly away again.

"You didn't see the look on your face when I burned you." Katara's breath caught and she reached for him, but he flinched away. "Every time I firebend near you that's all I can see. You looked so…hurt and scared. You can't imagine how awful that made me feel. Seeing you scared of me was…I just can't stand reliving that every time I firebend near you. Just think about how you'd feel if you'd hurt someone you loved more than anything with bloodbending. That's what it's like." Katara flushed.

"That's different." She said. "Bloodbending was made to hurt people, there's no good side to it. You're not hurting anyone by keeping warm near a campfire." Aang's shoulders slumped and he turned away.

"You don't get it." He said softly. Katara only scooted in front of him again, forcing him to face her, frustrated now.

"I forgave you for that, Aang! I was never mad at you! Besides, I learned healing that way. Just because you made a mistake once doesn't mean you should stop firebending around me. I didn't stop talking to you just because I hurt you on Ember Island. Yeah, I felt bad about it, but I learned from it and everything worked out in the end. Besides, you only get better the more you practice and I _like_ watching you bend." Aang looked taken aback.

"You do?"

"Yes." Katara sighed in exasperation. "Why do you think I always watched you while you trained?"

"Because you didn't trust Zuko?" Aang guessed, the smallest of smiles finding its way to his lips. Katara grimaced.

"That was only part of it. Watching you bend is…it's well…it's nice. I just like it." She blushed, not entirely ready to admit in so many words exactly how watching Aang could make her feel. She collected herself and continued. "Actually, I'd like to see you firebend right now, the same move you tried to do when you accidently burned me." Aang looked at her as though she'd just suggested he kick Momo.

"What? That's dangerous! We're in the forest, Katara!" He reminded her. She only shrugged at him.

"And I believe in you. I know you can control it. Zuko can, and he taught you." She pointed out. Aang winced, knowing she had a point. It would be hard to refuse her now.

"What about you?" He asked quietly. "If I burned you again I'd-" Katara shook her head.

"You won't. I have faith in you. I _want_ to see you bend, Aang." Aang took a deep breath, meeting her eyes again. And suddenly, he knew there was no way he could refuse her. He'd never been able to. People saw him as the avatar, but in truth, Katara held more power than any of them could ever guess.

"Fine. But do me a favor and stand back." Katara grinned, getting to her feet and walking to the edge of the clearing. Aang closed his eyes, centering himself and focusing his chi, feeling the heat inside of him in the absence of the sun and willing himself to spread his arms, releasing it around him in a ring of flame. He opened his eyes, finding the fire dissipating into thin air before it could reach the bushes, trees, or, he gave a great breath of relief, Katara. He turned to face her, finding her beaming at him.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Aang couldn't help but return the smile as he went to embrace her tightly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." He murmured into her ear as she returned the embrace.

"You'd be a great avatar either way. That's why I have faith in you." Katara smiled.

"Thanks." Aang pulled back and with a gentle wave of his hand lit the log over their campfire, banishing the chill from the air around them. They sat together again, Katara leaning comfortably against Aang's shoulder.

"Katara?" He said after a pause.

"Hm?"

"Do you mind if I do something for you?" The waterbender turned towards him, looking puzzled.

"What?" Aang only smiled.

"Just give me your hands." She obliged him, watching curiously as he bended a stream of water from her discarded pouch that sat before them. Her eyes widened in realization when he distributed the water evenly between his hands, taking hers and pressing the cool liquid against her skin. Their joined hands began to glow, and through the light, Aang gazed lovingly at the girl before him.

"Aang…" She murmured. "That was a long time ago, you don't have to-"

"No." He interrupted her gently. "Just let me. I want to do this for you." Katara looked away, her eyes watering slightly at the pure gesture of love. He withdrew his hands after a minute, discarding the water and then bringing the back of her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to it before doing the same with the other. "There." He said. "Now it's better. I think I'll feel better about firebending now." He looked at her hopefully and she brushed at her eyes, touched. Then, she bended the remainder of the water from her pouch around her own hand, using her free one to find where Aang's shirt was tucked into his pants and lift it away. He shivered slightly from the sudden exposure to the cold, quirking an eyebrow at Katara in confusion.

"Katara…what are you doing?" He questioned.

"Shhh." She hushed him, bringing the shining water to the bare skin of his chest, just over where she knew his heart to be. "I hurt you once too. It was a big mistake and I'm sorry." He was about to protest, but then she looked meaningfully into his eyes, silencing him. The water was cool and soothing and even though he wasn't hurt, he couldn't help but feel comforted by the gentle touch and he sighed, a shudder of contentment running through his body. It was as though he could feel her love for him passing directly from her body, through the water, into his very soul and he sat impeccably still, not daring to move.

"I love you, Aang." She whispered to him before she withdrew the water, leaning in to kiss him soundly. He cupped her face, caressing the soft skin of her cheek with his thumb and allowing his free hand to bury itself in her hair.

"I love you too." He smiled when she pulled away. "And about Ember Island, it's okay. You had every right to say no. If you didn't love me, I wouldn't have blamed you for it. I can't force you to have the same feelings as me, no matter how much it would've hurt." He assured.

"But I did love you. And when you love someone, you're not supposed to tell them you're confused about your feelings and hurt them. It wasn't fair." Katara protested. Aang laughed.

"Fine. But we're even now, so let's just…be happy that we love each other and enjoy the night." He wrapped an arm around her and she couldn't help but smile contentedly, snuggling close to him.

"That sounds perfect."


	52. Air Temple Misadventures

**A/N: Hello everyone :). I got pretty close to finishing this and then got an idea that I liked even better, but because this was almost done, I decided to finish and post it before starting my next idea. I don't think this is one of my best, but it's been an extremely crazy few weeks x(. Anyways, next week I turn 18! Exciting, yay!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

* * *

Katara pushed herself off of the bed when she finished reading Aang's not to her, explaining that he was planning on spending the morning meditating in one of the temple's prayer rooms. She stretched, absently resting a hand on her pregnant belly with a smile. Perhaps, she mused, she would explore the area surrounding the temple alone this morning to get some fresh air. She hadn't seen most of it yet, after all. Aang had wanted to make the temple their home after the war, but unfortunately, he'd been too busy to really settle in until they'd recently married and she'd gotten pregnant with their first child. In their occasional visits to the Southern Air Temple before their wedding, most of their time had been spent trying to restore the temple to its former glory and there hadn't been a great deal of time for Aang to show her the area outside of the temple's grounds. She could only distinctly recall one or two times when he'd taken her to the walking paths beyond the temple's courtyards and now seemed like a good time for her to explore further. She scribbled a note to her husband, allowing Momo to perch on her shoulder before she left the room for the main doors of the temple.

Katara could easily see why the airbenders had chosen this location to build their temple. Almost everywhere she looked was a breathtakingly beautiful view, and it was difficult to access without the help of sky bison, or she supposed, airships that hadn't existed a hundred years ago. The waterbender took her time on her walk, letting herself admire everything there was to see of the temple's grounds before wandering further onto one of the wooded mountain trails. These too, were beautiful. There seemed to be an infinite variety of flowers and many winding streams, the sunlight filtering through the trees and illuminating the area. Momo seemed to agree with her, as he began chattering enthusiastically once the temple was out of sight, leaving his perch on her shoulder to fly around the path and briefly into the canopy. The trees, as they were after all in the mountains, weren't for the most part terribly tall, but there were enough of them in this particular area to provide plentiful shade, not that it was hot. Rather, it was slightly chilly, but for Katara it was certainly bearable as it was considerably warmer than the South Pole. After she'd been walking for a good hour or so, Momo let out a high pitched chirp and suddenly glided off of the path entirely, as though in pursuit of something.

"Momo!" She exclaimed, abandoning the path to follow him when he didn't return, instead going deeper into the woods. Then, above her, she heard a familiar chattering sound, noticing a distinctly Momo-like shadow leaping from tree to tree. She stopped in her tracks, tilting her head upwards. "Momo?" She called softly. The figure hopped off of its current perch and flew down just far enough for Katara to be able to identify it. It wasn't Momo, she noted as its fur was black with white markings rather than the other way around, but it was certainly a lemur. She beamed. So there were others! _Aang__'__ll__be__so__happy__when__I__tell__him__…_ she mused, glad that some part of her husband's former life here was still around. She could already see his smile in her mind's eye. The lemur glided off of its perch, continuing to chatter as it was joined by Momo himself. Curiosity piqued, Katara followed the two, as the shrubbery didn't seem too dense, it was easy to pick her way through and pursue the winged creatures. Soon, more appeared, the number increasing until Katara had strayed a considerable distance from the path. For now though, she'd forgotten entirely about that, amazed at Momo's discovery. Eventually, the flock of lemurs led her to a small clearing, where the sound of chirps and chattering were the only sounds to be heard. Lemurs were everywhere; in the air, perched on branches, some digging in the ground for buried nuts or seeds. Katara let out an exhale of amazement, stopping to fully take in her surroundings and wishing that Aang were here with her to see this. _I__'__ll__just__take__him__tomorrow._ She decided. It was only then that it occurred to her that she didn't know exactly how she'd gotten here or where she was._Oh__boy__…_She slid down the trunk of a nearby tree, trying to recall exactly which way she'd come from. Her ankles were beginning to hurt from walking and she sighed, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. As much as she was looking forward to having their child, she often found herself frustrated by her increasingly limited mobility. Perhaps Momo could lead her back, she thought hopefully. He had to know this entire area by heart. But when she called for the little lemur, beckoning him away from the clearing, he only chattered persistently and refused to follow, too absorbed in the fun he was having with what Katara guessed were his old friends to want to follow her. She groaned. It had already been a good two hours since her departure, and she needed to be heading back so Aang wouldn't worry. She tried to retrace her footsteps, but nothing seemed to look familiar and soon, a cold rain began to fall. Aang had told her, she reminded herself, that mountain weather was ever changing. She walked for what felt like hours, but the fog that had settled, along with the dense foliage made it nearly impossible for her to tell which direction she'd come from and where the path was. Soon, she was drenched and shivering and was getting tired from navigating the hilly terrain weighing more than she used to and she still didn't have the faintest idea where she was. Feeling quite defeated, she took refuge under an outcropping of rock and sat with her back to the stone, wrapping her arms around herself. She could have, she realized, bended herself dry, but it would be pointless as she'd only get wet again with the way the wind was blowing the rain against her. So instead, she drew her knees to her chest and rested her head on them, hoping that the rain would pass before dark so she could try to find her way back again. Still, even as she told herself that she would get back to the temple soon, a part of her felt more than a little uneasy. She was cold, wet, and was completely lost. She had no idea where the temple, or Aang, or Momo was or how far away they were. Not to mention she was exhausted, her body screaming for rest. _Momo._ What would Aang say if she returned without him? What was he thinking right now? What would he think if she never found her way back? What if…

Aang glanced out of his window with a frown. It had been more than a few hours since he'd finished meditating and since the time Katara was supposed to have been back. In fact, he knew it was almost sundown, even through the drenching rain outside. Thousands of worries seemed to infiltrate his mind at once. Was she alright? Had she gotten lost? Or worse, was she hurt? Aang waited for only several more minutes before stepping out into the rain, determined to find her. Every so often, he called her name, each time to no reply. _Oh__no._ He'd already lost his entire culture here, everyone he'd known and loved, and he couldn't bear to lose Katara and their unborn child as well. With each step into the woods he took however, he grew more and more anxious. Each time the path dropped steeply off on one side, he felt slightly sick to his stomach. What if she'd slipped on a wet rock and fallen and…_no._ He told himself firmly, willing himself to get a grip. Panicking wouldn't solve anything. Still, the worry only built as he went on for the next hour, twisting in his gut until he heard a familiar chattering and felt a warm weight land on his shoulder.

"Momo!" He exclaimed, feeling momentarily relived until he realized that Katara was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Katara?" he asked anxiously. Momo chirped and took flight, indicating for Aang to follow, which he did. After a good half hour of walking, Aang grew even more nervous. He'd only been out for a little over an hour and he was getting cold, even with his firebending. And Katara had been out much longer than he had. Still, he pushed onwards, his breath hitching when at last he saw her, huddled under an overhanging rock. Tiredness forgotten entirely, he ran the rest of the way to her side. She was, as he'd expected, soaked, and his heart stopped when he noticed that her eyes were closed.

"Katara." He said her name softly but urgently, placing his fingers on her neck to feel for a pulse. He exhaled in relief. She was alright. Judging by the fact she'd been out here for hours and she didn't have as much stamina in her pregnancy as she used to before, Aang guessed that she was merely asleep as her pulse was strong and steady. Still, his heart gave a tug of sympathy. Even in her sleep, she was shivering, every part of her drenched. Carefully so as not to wake her, Aang picked her up, cradling her to his chest with a small smile.

Katara woke to a strange feeling of warmth around her, and she sighed, opening her eyes to take in her surroundings. She was back in her room in the temple, wrapped in several layers of blankets and remarkably dry. She sighed, turning over to see Aang sitting beside her, a soft smile on his face. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Aang, what…?" She wondered aloud.

"I found you." He said simply. "When you said you'd be back in a few hours I didn't think you meant you were gonna stray off the path and get completely lost. So I got worried and went to look for you." He teased gently, but the warmth in his eyes told her that he was just relieved to have found her. Nonetheless, she scowled slightly.

"I would've found my way back eventually." She mumbled, averting her eyes with a blush.

"Yeah. Just like I would've found my way out of the iceberg without your help, _eventually._" Aang smirked. Katara batted at him playfully when he reached to tuck a strand of hair out of her face, and he feigned a hurt look. "Come on." He lamented sorrowfully. "I saved you and our baby from-" He didn't finish however, for Katara pulled him down to her level kissed him softly, tasting the rain on his lips as he caressed her face. She allowed her eyes to close, privately reveling in the relief that Aang had found her. She was sure she would've found her way back on her own, but waking up in a warm bed next to the one she loved more than anything was a much nicer feeling than sleeping outside in the rain in soaking wet clothes.

"Thanks, Aang." She murmured when he pulled away, his hand still warm against her cheek. He grinned.

"You're welcome. All in a day's work for the avatar you know, saving damsels in distress and whatnot." Katara rolled her eyes but laughed nevertheless.

"Of course, my hero." She batted her eyelashes playfully and Aang chuckled, settling into the bed next to her to nuzzle her affectionately, resting a hand on her belly.

"I hope you know…" He whispered, their faces just inches apart. "That I do that as a husband and father… not as the avatar." Katara nodded, placing her hand over his under the covers.

"I know. But in all seriousness, you're still my hero." Aang beamed.

"And you're mine." He kissed her deeply in that way she knew would've made her knees shake had she been standing up. She gave a contented sigh as he moved under the covers with her, wrapping his arms around her waist. When they parted, she rested her head against his chest, tracing his forearm lightly, falling into a comforting silence. It was only when she felt her eyelids begin to droop that she remembered with a jolt the reason she'd gotten lost in the first place and that she hadn't even gotten the chance to tell Aang about the other lemurs.

"Aang." She whispered. No response. "Aang?" She asked again, shifting just slightly so she could see his face and smiling softly to herself when she saw that his eyes were closed. She lowered her head to its previous position, allowing her own eyes to close. _I__guess__it__can__wait__till__tomorrow._ For now, she was more than content to curl up surrounded by Aang's warmth and fall asleep.


	53. Haunted

**A/N: Hello again! Sooo, this is my first 2 part chapter. Meaning, the end of this chapter isn't really the end of this little story. There will be a part II up within the next week, promise ;). It's kind of a Halloween-y thing, cuz part II gets a little creepy, but I like it so far. Happy reading!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

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"Do you want me to come with you?" Katara asked tentatively as Aang pulled on his boots. Part of him did, part of him always wanted her around and he couldn't help that. But this time he had to ignore that part.

"No, not this time." He answered instead. "This is something I have to do." Katara placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him towards her so she could kiss him briefly.

"Okay. I'll be here when you come back." Aang gave her a grateful smile before turning to leave the room. He'd never imagined he would be doing this, but it had been nagging him ever since the euphoria of winning the war had worn off. He was going to see Ozai. Though he knew the old Fire Lord was nothing but a power hungry psychopath, he still felt the need to face the one he'd defeated in hopes of getting him to accept the reality that the Fire Nation was on a path to a better future. Sokka and Zuko had both shaken their heads at him. They respected his wisdom and his efforts to always treat others with fairness, but they believed that this was nothing short of naïve of him. Aang knew this, and he knew there was a good chance that this would in fact be pointless. But some nights he would lie awake and wonder what Ozai thought about in his dark, isolated cell and Aang he knew that the one thing the ex Fire Lord had cared about was the Fire Nation and its supposed "honor." Perhaps if he could just explain that Zuko was steering the country in the right direction….

Aang descended many flights of steps that led deep down under the palace, where the arched hallway was all stone, no fancy decorations or marble floor like the rest of the palace. It was colder down here, and he took a deep breath before stopping before the guards in front of the dungeon doors.

"I want to speak to Ozai." He declared, watching as a mild expression of shock crossed the men's faces before they turned to unlock the doors.

"As you wish, Avatar Aang." The huge metal doors swung open and Aang stepped into the main corridor of the dungeons. He couldn't help but shiver as they swung closed behind him and suddenly, he found himself even more grateful that he had (for the most part) eluded capture during the war. The dungeons were dank and dark, eliminated only by torch light, no sunshine or windows. The prisoners in their small, cramped cells began to murmur as he strode past, and he felt the familiar sting of guilt ebbing into his heart. He knew many of the people were here because of him, Ozai's most powerful accomplices, people like Admiral Zhao. He knew life in prison was far from a pleasant fate, but now that he was actually here, it seemed much worse. The place held a vile stench, and the cells contained nothing but a small bench that served as a chair and a bed. Aang cringed as one of the prisoners called out to him.

"Hey Avatar, some savior you are, look at what you've done to our people!" he did his best to ignore the taunt, but at the same time, it sliced through him like a knife. _These __people __are __suffering __because __of __me. _He shook his head. _These __are __the __people __that __tried __to __kill __us. __These __are __the __people __that __killed __Katara __and __Sokka__'__s __mom, __who __burned __down __entire __villages __of __women __and __children. __They__'__d __only __hurt __more __people __if __they __were __free._This logic was powerful, and allowed Aang to keep a calm but stern demeanor as he reached the heart of the dungeon where Zuko had told him Ozai resided.

"Avatar." He nearly jumped but kept his composure as he found himself face to face with the tyrant himself. His heart rate picked up out of instinct. Here was the man he'd feared for so long, powerless and captive, anger seething from his tortured gaze. It was all he could do to keep a straight face upon catching a glimpse of the pure loathing emanating from those sinister amber eyes. There was something almost haunting about them…and Aang knew he'd never been looked at with so much hatred in his entire life. "Come to see what you've done to me?" He sneered. Aang cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way. You brought this on yourself when you refused to surrender." Ozai only chuckled.

"So young and so naïve, Avatar. You thought you were being merciful and gracious by ending it this way didn't you? By leaving me here to rot, a disgrace, stripping me of all of my honor. You fancy yourself as a hero, I suppose, by destroying the Fire Nation's glory, by bringing shame to all our innocent people." Aang knew very well that Ozai was saying all of this just to get to him, so he did his very best to shake off the comments and remember why he'd come in the first place.

"Zuko has restored the Fire Nation's honor." He said evenly. "You should be very proud of him for all the good he's done for the Fire Nation's people. I came to tell you that we recently reached a treaty that will help the entire world rebuild itself. The Fire Nation's troops will help rebuild what was destroyed and form peaceful alliances with people of other nations. The future is brighter now, and the Fire Nation can be proud of its leader again." Ozai spat out a laugh.

"You truly don't understand, do you boy? The Fire Nation was the most glorious land in the world before that imbecilic boy took over. Zuko is no son of mine. But no matter, I can see I won't change your mind seeing as you're so convinced of your righteousness. You don't think of anyone but yourself." Aang was reminded chillingly of the way Azula spoke upon hearing the words. _He__'__s __lying, __he__'__s __just __trying __to __get __to __you._ Still, there was a corner of doubt in the very back of his mind that was listening intently to every word.

"That's not true." He answered, turning to begin to walk away.

"If you really believed that, you wouldn't feel the need to come down here and assure me that my nation is in "good hands."" Ozai hissed after him. "You know I'm right deep down, don't you, Avatar? You care for only yourself. Otherwise you wouldn't have allowed your friends to risk their lives for you, you wouldn't have left all of these people down here to suffer for the rest of their lives while you prance along like royalty in my palace, your friends waiting on your hand and foot."

Aang gulped, feeling his fingertips grow cold. He could feel a tide of guilt beginning to swell inside of him as he listened to the moans of the prisoners, trapped down here like animals forever. _Don__'__t __listen __to __him!_ His rational side cautioned strongly again, but his body had already stopped walking, waiting for Ozai's next words. "You failed your own people, so you chose to get revenge by humiliating another. You've caused more pain and suffering than any avatar in history. I doubt anyone else in history is responsible for the demise of _two _nations." Aang could feel hot tears burning behind his eyes, but he refused to let them fall as he stood rigid, trapped. "You thought you were being kind." Ozai continued. "But we can never get out of our cages to stretch our legs, we're chained here and we're brought only two stale meals a day, while you sit above us eating the finest food and enjoying whatever privileges you like. Think of all these men who fought for their country with wives and children who they'll never get to see again." Aang held his breath as a tear slid down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away, but it was too late. A nauseous feeling had settled in his gut, a cold poison spreading through his veins. _I __**am **__a __monster. _He clenched his fists, taking a deep, steadying breath, but it did no good to drown out the moans of the prisoners that were suddenly far too loud, the horrible stench of the place.

"I'm sorry…" He spoke softly to himself, to Ozai or the prisoners, he didn't know. All he knew was that his head was swimming and he felt as though his entire world had just been turned upside down. _His _world. _Is __that __all __that __matters? __**My **__life?_ Ozai chuckled.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it, boy? It's a bit late for sorry but I'm sure you don't want to waste any more of your precious time. Do visit again soon." Aang left the dungeon with an unfamiliar numbness inside of him. It was almost as though this was an unconscious reflex to block the panicked feeling that had set in moments ago. But his mind was still churning, making him dizzy as he ascended back to the main palace. _All __those __people __that __are __suffering __because __of __me__…__families, __wives, __children__…__what__'__ve __I __done?_ The logical part of brain that normally reassured him was so far gone. _Sokka, __Toph, __Suki, __Zuko__…__they __all __risked __their __lives __for __me. __Katara__…__I __could__'__ve __killed __Katara__…_He was so lost that he barely noticed when he set eyes on Katara herself.

Instantly, she sensed something was wrong. Aang's eyes were wide and troubled, and he seemed to be breathing faster than usual.

"Aang?" She asked carefully, her own eyes expanding with worry. Sokka, Suki and Toph looked too, everyone looking at him. _While __you __prance __around __my __palace __like __royalty, __your __friends __waiting __on __your __hand __and __foot._ "Aang are you alright? Sit down…" She took him gently by the hand and despite the comfort it brought him, he swiped her away. He couldn't accept all that she was offering when he'd given her nothing in return. It was just so _wrong._

"Twinkletoes, what's the deal? Your heart rate is going crazy." Toph pointed out and Katara turned anxiously towards the blind girl.

"It is?" she asked worriedly, feeling Aang's forehead.

"Don't." The airbender recoiled despite the pain it caused him to do so and Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, something is definitely wrong. What'd that crazy guy do to you?" Aang grit his teeth.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He lied. Toph shook her head.

"No you're not. Spit it out." Everyone's eyes were on him now, and it was suddenly far too warm in the room.

"I just realized some things, okay? Important things." His hands were shaking and he was barely aware of the tears that had begun to gather in his eyes and slip down his cheeks.

"Aang…" Katara sat beside him and tried to hug him, comfort him as she always did. He sat still for a moment. She felt too good to let go of, but he couldn't let her.

"I'll be fine." His voice shook as he spoke, suggesting that he was anything but. "I'm going to take a nap. Don't get me for dinner." He declared before, legs trembling, he stood again and retreated towards his room in the palace, sprawling out on the bed and clenching his fists in his sheets. He released an anguished sob into the pillow, feeling a burning inside of him that had never been there before. He hated himself for doing this. What was wrong with him? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Ozai's words out of his head, nor the prisoner's moans and the sight of their gaunt faces staring at him loathingly through the bars of their cells. _Cages._ He felt so sick and worthless. _I__'__ll __always __be __a __failure. _He realized, his mind reeling. He didn't deserve any of this. He should be in one of those dungeon cells along with the rest of the war criminals. He should…

"Aang just fainted." Toph announced, her green eyes wide with surprise. Katara jumped to her feet.

"Why? What's wrong with him?" She had been about to go to him, to ask him what on earth had happened. Toph only shrugged.

"I…don't know. He just did." Frowning worriedly, Katara slung her water skin over her shoulder and began making her way to the door, but Sokka stopped her, grabbing her by the wrist. She turned to glare at him.

"Let go of me Sokka." She demanded. But Sokka didn't let go. Instead, he stood up, placing both hands on his sister's shoulders.

"I know you're worried about Aang. I just want you to remember what happened last time, in Ba Sing Se and I want you to promise me you won't do _that_ to yourself again. Aang's probably just a little freaked out because he's never really seen a prison before." Katara lowered her head and nodded.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Okay." Sokka released her, giving her back an encouraging rub before standing back to allow her to do what she was best at.

"Aang." Katara called softly as she cracked open the door to his room, peering inside. When she didn't get a response, she shut the door behind her and crept to where he lay on his bed. She could practically feel her heart breaking just by looking at him. His face was twisted into an expression of anguish, his hands clenched into fists in the sheets despite the fact that he wasn't awake. His face was streaked with tears, which she wiped away, cupping his cheek gently and frowning, feeling tears prick at her own eyes. "Aang." She said again in an attempt to rouse him, but he didn't stir. _Not __again._ She didn't allow herself to sink into despair this time though, Sokka's words repeating themselves in her mind.

Bending the water out of her pouch, she used it to massage Aang's temples. His features relaxed slightly and he let out a soft breath, hands uncurling from their fists. Katara gave a sigh of relief, thankful that she'd been at least somewhat successful even though he had yet to actually wake. She returned the water to its container swept by a sudden wave of compassion that compelled her to attempt to comfort him even though he was out like a light. _Oh __Aang__…_it killed her to not know what had happened and to not have any way of finding out, at least for now. And she suspected he wouldn't want to tell her right away even when he woke. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, deciding she would wait for him.

After several hours however, Sokka retrieved her from her spot, insisting that she eat dinner. She reluctantly followed him, not wanting to trouble the rest of her friends. She knew they were worried about Aang too and she didn't want to add to that.

She checked on the airbender again after the meal and before bed, though, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she had. To her mild surprise, he was awake and staring at the ceiling, his eyes swirling with pain and confusion in a way that made her heart wrench.

"Hey." She greeted tentatively. "You feeling better?" He jumped slightly, an indiscernible expression crossing his face for a second before he answered her.

"I'm fine." Katara winced. _Please __don__'__t __tell __me __we__'__re __going __through __this __again__…_She decided to try a different approach.

"How'd it go earlier today then? What did Ozai have to say?" Aang's breath hitched and he turned away, his hands shaking. Katara exhaled softly and took his them in her own, squeezing them gently.

"It's okay." She assured. "You can tell me."

"I'm a horrible person." Aang's words were so soft that Katara barely heard them at first.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. "Aang, that's crazy. You're the most amazing, kind, thoughtful person I know. If Ozai told you that, you should know better than to listen to him." She was appalled. How dare anyone insult Aang? How dare Aang think that way about himself?

"No I'm not! You don't get it." He pulled his hands from hers, his eyes swimming with tears again. Katara moved to embrace him, but he pushed her away again, a panicked expression overtaking his normally calm features.

"Aang-" She was only trying to help. But he wouldn't let her.

"Just go, Katara. I don't want to hurt you anymore." Part of Katara was so angered by the statement that she _wanted _to obey him, but the other part was so worried for Aang that she didn't know if she could. She hesitated, torn, until his next words sent her over the edge.

"You shouldn't be waiting on my hand and foot."

"Fine." She said, her voice a mixture of anger, hurt, and inevitably, concern. The icy tone in her voice cut Aang like a blade, but he was reminded quickly that he deserved it. She briefly bent to kiss his cheek before he could resist that as well before bidding him goodnight and promptly leaving the room. Aang ran into the washroom and retched.

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A scream pierced the night air of the palace, and Aang woke, panting and frantic, brushing a hand over his eyes only to feel a sticky substance left behind. Panicked, he glanced at his hand, finding that it shining with a thick liquid that he could only identify as blood. He gasped, looking at his other hand and finding the same. He could feel it, hot and wet, dripping onto his sheets as he sat up. He attempted to bend it away, to wipe it off on his shirt but it did no good. _It__'__s __not __mine, _he realized, horrified. No, he didn't have a single wound. The blood belonged to others.

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**Dun dun dun...Almost done w/ p2, should have it up in a week or less ;)**


	54. Haunted Part II

**A/N: Here it is! The much anticipated part 2. Sorry it didn't come earlier. This is one crazy month so far. BUT, I've read over this a million times and put a lot of effort into it, so it should be worth the wait, I hope. I hope you all had fun halloweens! I'm gonna be working on another chapter of Awake before I update this again, but both should be updated within 2 weeks, so keep your eyes open ^^. Happy reading!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

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"_It__'__s __real, __Avatar. __This __is __no __dream__…" _Ozai's voice echoed in his head and Aang leapt up from bed, frantically sprinting to the washroom attached to his bedchamber, plunging his hands into the basin he always kept filled with water and tried to rinse away the blood. In no time, the water in the basin was colored a deep crimson, and Aang lifted his hands out, only to find that they were still soaked with the blood of innocent people. The innocent people that were suffering because of him. _You __did __it. __It__'__s __all __your __fault. __You __hurt __them. __You__'__re __hurting __them. _Soon, Aang found himself worked into a frenzy filling the basin with more water from the pump attached to the wall, soaking his hands in the water, but it only got darker and darker. He scrubbed his hands together, ripping his shirt off to use it as a cloth and chafing it against his skin until it felt raw. Soon though, the shirt too was soaked with blood, and he could barely see his skin through its thick coat.

Quickly growing frightened, Aang began to hyperventilate, scrubbing harder, harder. _It __has __to __come __out._ He thought frantically, _It __has __to._ He was barely aware of the tears cascading down his face and dripping into the bloodied water, all he could see was the blood and the sound of a pulse beating in his ears. Whose it was, he didn't know. The voices of the prisoners returned, of his friends. _Look __at __what __you__'__ve __done. __You __don__'__t __care, __selfish, __selfish, __selfish. __You__'__re __hurting __people __and __it __doesn__'__t __even __matter __to __you. _It was inescapable, and Aang gave a cry of frustration only to grow rigid as a light illuminated the space, allowing him to catch a glimpse of his face in the mirror. It too, was covered in blood. Only, the face he saw wasn't even his own, it was Ozai's.

Aang stumbled backwards in terror, before stepping forward again, splashing the water from the basin onto his face to try and clean it, but it did no good. He tossed his soaked and now useless shirt to the ground, scrubbing desperately at the now raw skin.

"Please, please, _please__**.**__**"**_ He begged tearfully, but no one answered him and the blood remained.

"_It__'__s __not __going __anywhere.__" _Ozai's voice taunted him and he began to sob, pale shoulders shaking in the moonlight that streamed in from the window at the other end of the room. "_You__'__re __a __monster, __Avatar.__" _Aang couldn't bear it anymore. He fell to his knees, clamping his hands over his bloodied ears and praying it would somehow stop. But all he heard was screaming, screams of the hurting, of the dying. And then, Katara's.

"_Aang, you're hurting me! Look what you've done!" _

"_I didn't mean to! I'm…I'm sorry! Stop!"_

"_It__'__s __a __bit __late __for __sorry, __Avatar. __But __I__'__m __sure __you __can__'__t __be __troubled__…" __Katara __was __drowning __in __the __blood._ Aang was going to be sick again, he knew it, but he couldn't move. He was paralyzed and doubled over in agony, the smell of the blood making him nauseous. He could taste it on his tongue and there was no way to get rid of it.

"Aang?" Katara nearly stepped backwards in shock upon entering the washroom where she'd heard the scream. _What __on __earth?_ Aang knelt on the tiled floor, hands pressed against his ears as he shook with sobs, and the floor was soaked. His eyes were wide with an indescribable, incomprehensible pain that caused Katara to gasp. She'd never seen him this way, not even after losing Appa. It had been nearly a week since he'd gone to see Ozai, and she still hadn't been able to get him to open up about what had happened. But she'd had no idea that it would lead to this. "Aang!" She exclaimed, nearly slipping on the wet floor as she ran to his side, grasping him gently by the wrist to lower his hands. He whipped around to face her, looking more terrified than she'd ever seen him. At first he didn't seem to recognize her, but then he choked out her name.

"K-Katara?" She nodded, attempting to pull him into an embrace, but he pushed her away.

"You can't." He said desperately, though it clearly killed him inside to say it. Her brow furrowed in confusion, her eyes pleading with him to come back to her.

"Why not?"

"Look at me! Katara, it won't stop, it won't go away, it's not coming off…" he choked.

"What are you talking about? What won't come off?" She pressed, now sincerely perplexed.

"The blood! Don't you see it?" Katara felt a cold feeling spread through her stomach.

"Aang." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly as she forced herself to remain calm. "There's no blood." Aang looked at his hands again as Katara shone the light from the candle she'd brought with her on them. Sure enough, his hands were blood-free, just a bit pink from all the scrubbing. He looked around desperately, his vision still swirling. He could still _taste_ the blood. There _had_ to have been blood, he'd seen it, felt it…Katara stood briefly to turn the pump off, bending all the water that had splashed onto the floor into the tub. Despite her reassurances, Aang didn't look any better when she turned back to him. She'd never seen him so distraught in the entire time she'd known him. His face was streaked with tears and he couldn't seem to catch his breath. His eyes were bloodshot and hazy. "Come on." She murmured urgently to him, pulling him up by the hands so she could bring him back to his bedchamber. He barely managed to stumble to his feet, bracing himself against her as she guided him to his bed. He felt sick with guilt again at the degree he was allowing himself to rely on her. He didn't even know if she was real…

"_Pathetic, __Avatar. __Waking __up __your __friends __because __of __your __mental __shortcomings __all __while __there __are __dozens __of __people __imprisoned __right __underneath __your __feet __because __you __put __them __there.__" _Ozai spoke for the first time since Katara's arrival.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry…" he gasped out, his voice thick with emotion.

"It's okay." Katara whispered soothingly to him, helping him back into his bed and setting the candle down on the table next to it. She knelt beside him, scooting close to him so she could place a hand on his back. "What happened? Did you have a nightmare?" Her voice was so soft and comforting and accepting…and right now he simply didn't have the willpower to push that away. She was the only thing he had to grab onto to prevent him from being whisked away by fear and doubts. He would _drown_ without her. He couldn't be alone again. He was exhausted from not sleeping for the past week, and she was the only glimpse of clarity, sanity, that he could see in the muddled mess of his nightmares and hallucinations.

"No, it was real. There was…I had…everyone's blood all over me. I hurt them…" He tried to tell her, pulse racing. He couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't…

Katara's chest ached with sympathy. She didn't have the faintest idea what had happened between Aang and Ozai and she didn't know what it was that was causing him to see all these things and feel this way. Why was he doing this to himself?

"Come here." She pulled him towards her before he could muster the willpower to resist again and rested his head on her lap, gathering an orb of water from the humid air around her.

"Katara-" He protested.

"Shhh." She soothed. "Don't talk right now. Just close your eyes." She winced as Aang relaxed against her. He was far too warm. Taking a deep breath both for the purpose of steadying herself and for holding back tears at seeing the one she loved most in such distress, she pressed the cool water to his temples, tenderly caressing his brow in hopes of clearing his mind of the frightening illusions that plagued him. His features tensed for a moment before relaxing, his breathing slowing after several minutes of Katara's work. She then hesitantly withdrew her hands, tossing the water out of the open window at the other end of the room and cupping the airbender's cheek.

"Better?" She asked. Aang sat up and opened his eyes. He was still visibly shaken, but he appeared to be at least a little calmer.

"There was no blood." He said slowly, as though he was still unsure of exactly what was real. Katara shook her head.

"No. You weren't hurting anyone." She embraced him, feeling a warm rush of relief when he accepted it at last, resting his head on her shoulder and returning the hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her as though she might disappear. _Finally._ This felt so right… Warm tears slipped down her neck and she pulled him closer, trailing her fingers over his spine. Sighing shakily, Aang pulled back, gray eyes clouded with guilt and confusion.

"I did hurt people though…" He murmured in a way that made Katara wonder if he was addressing her or if he was talking to thin air. A tremor went through his body and Katara placed a hand on his knee to steady him, looking him firmly in the eyes.

"Aang, tell me what happened, please." She coaxed. "I just want to help…"

"_You__'__re __a __burden, __Avatar.__" _Aang grit his teeth, torn. The last thing he wanted to do was burden Katara. But she wanted to know...she wanted to help.

"Aang?" Katara caressed his cheek with the backs of her fingers. "Come on. Stay with me." She tried to hide the hint of desperation in her voice. "Please…" She couldn't lose him again, not that she'd gotten this far with him. Aang couldn't refuse her any longer.

"I put people in prison." He began abruptly, hoping to get the words out before he heard Ozai again. "They're suffering, because of me. They can't get out and walk around and it's cold and it smells horrible. They might have families and they can't see them." Aang's voice began to shake as tears spilled from his eyes. "They're trapped, and all I do is sit around and get treated like a hero, having people I love risk their lives for me. People bow to me in the streets, and for what? They think I'm some savior, but all I've done is hurt people. I failed the airbenders and now I'm hurting the Fire Nation too. I don't deserve any of this. I'm…I'm worse than Ozai." He finished, breathless and wide eyed, somehow saying it all aloud to the girl he loved more than anything made it seem even worse than it had in his head.

"Did he tell you all that?" Katara questioned, appalled, but not entirely surprised. She _knew _Aang shouldn't have gone to see that monster…he nodded.

"But it doesn't matter. I should've figured it out on my own. It's…true." His hands trembled in his lap, his breath beginning to quicken again.

"Aang." Katara said gently but firmly, hoping to rein him in before he could get lost in his thoughts again. He lifted his eyes to hers. Katara took his hands, circling her thumbs over the backs of them, determined to get a hold of him. "I know it must be hard to see people suffering and I know it seems wrong. But there was no other way. They would've kept hurting and killing innocent people and then there would be even more suffering. These people knew what they were doing was wrong and they chose to do it anyways. Besides, you don't control how people are treated in prison here. That's Zuko's job." She pointed out. Aang shook his head.

"I know that. It's just…the monks always said there was good inside of everyone and that everyone should be treated fairly. And I'm being celebrated even though I'm hurting people. It's so _wrong._ Gyatso would be so disappointed…" The heartbroken look that shadowed Aang's face when he mentioned his old mentor was almost enough to make Katara cry as well. Instead though, she cupped Aang's cheek, brushing away his tears with her thumb. He flinched but didn't move away from her touch, instead reaching a shaky hand up to hold hers against his face. She smiled softly, relieved that he was responding more positively to her now.

"Gyatso would be proud." She murmured. "I'm sure of it. You didn't do this for revenge, Aang. Your intentions were pure and that's what counts. You saved so many innocent people, and you can't let someone like Ozai and his followers tell you otherwise. You are a hero and you deserve to be treated like one. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. The fact that you're even worrying about this should tell you something. Most people don't even think about empathizing with their enemies." Aang still looked uncertain.

"Then why do I feel sick to my stomach whenever I think about those people in prison? I wasn't kidding about the blood, either." He shuddered, subconsciously looking at his hands as if to make sure the sticky fluid really was gone.

"Because you care about people. That's what makes you so wonderful. It's not supposed to feel good to see people suffering, but you have to realize that it could be a lot worse. They aren't being killed or tortured or starved. They should be grateful that you spared their lives. And there would be so many more innocent people hurting if they were on the loose." Katara pointed out before asking hesitantly, "What was happening when I came in anyways? What's been going on that keeps you up like this?" Aang averted his eyes.

"You'd think I was crazy if I told you." Katara reached for him again, tilting his chin upwards so he would look at her again.

"That's not true. I can't imagine anything crazier than what I already saw, and I didn't even think _that _made you crazy. You were just scared and confused. Actually, it would probably make _more_ sense if you explained it." Aang sighed, shifting uncomfortably before resigning himself.

"Okay. I've been having pretty horrible dreams that I can barely remember when I wake up. So I've been staying up to keep them away. And tonight when I did wake up I saw and _felt _blood on my hands. I got scared, so I ran to try and rinse it off, but it wouldn't come out. I heard Ozai's voice in my head telling me everything was my fault and that the blood was from all the people I'd hurt, which I guess is what I must've been doing in my dream. Then I looked in the mirror and my face was covered in blood too. Except, it wasn't my face, it was Ozai's…" He paused, a tremor running through his body. Katara bit her lip in sympathy, giving his hand a comforting squeeze in silent encouragement for him to continue.

"And?" She prompted gently.

"I tried to wash my face, but it didn't work and he kept talking to me and telling me that I was a monster. Then…I heard _you._ You were screaming that I was hurting you and I saw it happening but I couldn't stop it so I collapsed and…that's when you came in." He finished, his voice barely above a whisper. It brought him such pain to even _think _about hurting Katara.

"Aang…" She breathed. She couldn't imagine how frightening it must be to not be able to discern reality from dreams, to feel as helpless as he did. But she couldn't let him think for a second that he was a monster like Ozai had told him. He had to snap out of it. She took him gently but firmly by the shoulders. "Listen to me." She began. "You're nothing like Ozai. You'd never intentionally hurt someone. _I _know you. And you know yourself. You care too much about the good of the world to act like Ozai for even a second." When he still looked doubtful, Katara stood up, tugging gently at his hand. "Come on." She coaxed. Aang raised an eyebrow in confusion, but followed her dazedly, wobbling slightly in exhaustion, his heart dropping into his stomach when he realized she was leading him back to the washroom.

"Katara…" he hung back, pointedly looking anywhere _but _the mirror. She turned around, giving him a reassuring smile that made his stomach flutter pleasantly in spite of everything else he was feeling. "I don't know if this is a good idea."

"It'll be okay." She assured. "I promise. Just do this, for me." The last two words did the trick, triggering a switch in Aang's mind. Slowly, painstakingly, he lifted his eyes to his reflection as Katara stepped aside to stand next to him. He exhaled loudly in relief upon seeing his own face looking back at him, blood-free and clean. At last, Katara's words began to sink in. He closed his eyes for a moment, giving a long sigh of relief. Then, he turned towards Katara and embraced her tightly, nuzzling his face against her neck and feeling tears of relief form in his eyes.

"I love you." He murmured. "So much." He felt as though a giant weight had been lifted off of his chest, his mind suddenly clearing of all poison, other than that of fatigue. Katara beamed over his shoulder, her own sagging slightly in relief.

"I love you too." Aang turned his head to look in the mirror again, realizing suddenly that he'd never liked the look of his own reflection more, for he knew he was seeing love, true, untainted, unconditional love. Love that Ozai had never understood. He could finally smile again as he, holding Katara's hand, made his way back to the bed, suddenly feeling much lighter.

"I'm…sorry." He sighed. "I shouldn't have pushed you away. I should've listened to you in the first place, you always know what to do. This past week was a big mistake." He lowered his eyes regretfully.

"It's okay, that's what I'm here for." She smiled, pausing for a moment. "Just so you know though...I actually didn't know if that was going to work." She confessed as she lay on her side next to him, lacing their fingers together. Aang's drooping eyes widened in surprise.

"You didn't? Why'd you do it then?" He asked, astounded. Katara always seemed so sure of herself. He never felt out of control when he was around her and it was so hard for him to imagine her being uncertain of anything. Her smile only grew.

"Because I have faith in you, of course. You always come around eventually, so I knew you would this time too. It was just a matter of when and how." Aang looked at her in wonder, amazed at how much she seemed to believe in him.

"I hope I can live up to that." He whispered, marveling at the power she had over him. Just an hour ago he hadn't even been able to tell who he was, and now everything seemed too good to be true. He hadn't even known it was possible for emotions to change so drastically and so quickly. Then again, Katara had a way of exceeding everything in the realm of possibility. She only kissed him, in that wonderful way of hers that made his heart melt every time. He didn't know how he'd lived without it for this long. The past week had felt like an eternity.

"You always do." She said fondly. "You've brought _me_ back every time I ever felt like giving up. But, you should get some rest. You've been through a lot." Aang wanted to protest, now that he didn't feel as though he were on the brink of insanity he wanted to stay up all night with Katara and just relish in the joy it brought him to be with her. But his overly exerted mind and body wouldn't let him. So he nodded, finally allowing his eyes to close.

"Katara…" he breathed.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. You always save me." His heart fluttered as he felt her squeeze his hand under the covers.

"Any time."


	55. Advice

**A/N: Sorry it's so late you guys! This has been a crazy hectic month, writing all my semester papers, going to work, making all these appointments for registration for classes next spring. Luckily, break starts in less than 2 weeks, so after that I should be back to my regular update schedule =]. Thank you for being so awesome and patient with me. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

* * *

"Zuko." The firelord looked up from his breakfast upon hearing his name in a rather urgent tone.

"What is it?" He asked, suddenly alert and noticing that Aang, the one who had spoken, was standing before him, looking rather troubled. He fought back a groan. Not now. He'd already stayed up far too late last night finalizing the…the…he couldn't even remember what it was at this particular moment.

"I need to- wait, are you eating breakfast? It's almost noon!" The avatar exclaimed in surprise, seeming to have just noticed that his friend was in fact, eating.

"Just finishing….what's wrong with that?" Zuko asked dully. After losing so much sleep last night, sleeping in this morning had been almost inevitable. Aang quickly shook his head.

"Nothing, nothing. Can I talk to you about something?" He questioned, glancing around the room as if to make sure no one else was around to hear them. Zuko raised an eyebrow. Over the past few years, Aang had matured to the point where it was rare to see him unsure of himself or lacking confidence, but now Zuko couldn't think of any other way to describe him but nervous.

"Okay…" He said slowly. "Please don't tell me there's some new international crisis that we need to worry about." For the first time since his arrival, Aang smiled.

"No, nothing like that." Zuko's shoulders slumped slightly in relief.

"Alright, what is it then?" Before he answered, Aang turned and shut the door to the dining room behind him, earning him a quizzical look from the Fire Lord. At last, he drew in a shaky breath.

"I'm gonna ask Katara to marry me." He said simply. Zuko's eyes widened, but then he smiled.

"Congrats." He hesitated. Somehow Aang's anxious demeanor did not match the seemingly happy news. "Is there…something wrong with that?" Aang sighed, plopping down into a chair next to his friend and resting his chin thoughtfully in his palms.

"I don't know how I'm gonna do it." He confessed. Zuko pushed his plate of mostly finished breakfast away from him, giving Aang a skeptical look.

"What are you talking about? You've been charming Katara nonstop ever since I taught you firebending. It's not like she's gonna say no. What are you afraid of?" Aang sighed, reaching into the pocket of his robe and withdrawing a necklace with a sparkling pendant dangling from the ribbon. It was a pale, milky blue color with a lovely opalescent shine, the symbols of air and water carved delicately into its surface. "…And I don't see how anyone could refuse that. Did you make that yourself?" Zuko asked, slightly awed. As royalty, he'd seen his fair share of jewels in his lifetime, but this was unlike anything his family owned. Aang nodded.

"I've been working on it for months and now that it's done I don't know how..." Zuko suddenly sat up.

"Wait, doesn't the water tribe do arranged marriages?" A momentary look of alarm crossed Aang's face, but it quickly passed as he reminded himself of the reality. He waved a hand dismissively.

"They used to, I guess the really traditional families still do, like Princess Yue's. But Katara's dad would never force her to marry anyone she didn't want to." Saying this aloud helped calm Aang's nerves slightly, despite the fact that that hadn't been his concern to begin with.

"Well, what's the problem then?" Zuko was quite sincerely perplexed by Aang's problem. In his opinion, he and Katara had been acting like they were married for years. The only difference as far as he was concerned was that Katara would be wearing a new necklace.

"I don't know how to ask…and I figured you'd be able to help me since you've already done it." Aang admitted. Zuko smiled slightly, momentarily reminiscing on his own wedding. It was one of the few times he'd seen Mai smiling for the majority of the day. This memory however, prompted him into recalling that he had been nervous about the proposal as well.

"Don't worry about it too much. She's crazy about you. Just get her alone for a few minutes somewhere you know you won't be interrupted, do your romantic Aang thing and ask her. I guarantee you she'll say yes." Aang fought the urge to roll his eyes. Zuko made it seem so easy, as if this was as casual as asking her to accompany him on a stroll.

"But I want it to be _special_." He emphasized. "I want her to remember it for the rest of her life. And I keep feeling like there's not enough time. Ever since she turned sixteen last year, other guys have been asking her and I'm afraid if I don't hurry up one of them will beat me to it. But I don't want to rush it because I want enough time to make it perfect. I love her so much…" Aang suddenly looked deflated and Zuko couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He was obviously afraid of disappointing the one he loved, which was understandable. Still, his friend was making things out to be much worse than they were. He knew for a fact that if Aang asked Katara at this very second with no preparation whatsoever, she would still say yes.

"Aang." He said firmly. The avatar looked up. "_Don__'__t __worry, _okay? Look, I know you're nervous. I was too. But trust me, it'll be fine. I'm sure no matter where or when you ask her, she'll say yes. You know she doesn't even _look_ at other guys. You're the only thing she ever thinks about, she loves you. Hasn't she told you that?" Aang smiled slightly and Zuko watched as a familiar, dreamy expression crossed his features.

"Yeah. But what if I mess up?" He seemed to snap back to his previous, doubtful state almost instantly.

"You won't. What's the worst that could happen? You have to have told her you love her and all that gushy stuff before, right? Besides, even if you did stutter or something, it's not like she'd turn you down for it. You know that. She'd probably think it was adorable." Zuko reminded him in a deadpan voice. Aang nodded. He knew his friend was right, but it was hard not to worry. This was quite possibly the most important question he would ever ask anyone and he couldn't bear the thought of disappointing Katara or messing up so badly that he would have to watch her marry someone else who had done a better job. "If you really think it has to be perfect, I'm sure you know tons of romantic spots." Zuko spoke again, bringing him back to reality. Almost instantly, Aang's eyes brightened.

"You're right! We're going to the South Pole in a few weeks, where she found me…it's perfect! Thanks Zuko." The airbender beamed and before Zuko could say another word, he was gone. Where to, the fire lord had no way of knowing. Still, he chuckled, getting out of his own chair before one of the maids could offer him more breakfast.

* * *

"Is something troubling you?" Iroh noticed that Katara was quieter than usual and appeared to be deep in thought as he sat across from her, setting the tea he had prepared before her. She gave him a grateful smile and took a sip, seeming to relax slightly as the warm liquid slid down her throat.

"I guess it's just that there are a few things that I'm not sure what to do about." She answered, setting her cup down.

"What sorts of things?" Iroh asked. Katara bowed her head slightly and smiled, blushing.

"Ah, matters of the heart." The firebender said sagely. "What is worrying you?" Katara couldn't help but feel calmed by the easy manner with which Iroh spoke.

"Well…" she began, trying to decide how best to articulate her problem. "It's about Aang, obviously. It's just…I'm seventeen and I feel like I'm ready to marry him. I'm tired of being asked by men I barely even know and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I just don't know what he thinks. I mean, he's told me he doesn't ever want anyone else either, but he hasn't deliberately asked me yet. I would bring it up myself, but knowing him, I he probably wants to be the one to ask and I don't want to pressure him." She blurted all of it out at once, having kept it to herself for far too long. She'd been thinking about this for months, not as often at first but now almost constantly. She wanted to marry Aang. Iroh smiled.

"Ah, young love." He said wistfully. "I remember when Zuko came to me asking for advice about how to approach Mai on the same thing." As if on cue, Zuko himself stepped through the door at that very moment, briefly interrupting the conversation.

"Ah, good morning nephew, I was beginning to wonder whether you'd wake at all today." Zuko nodded in greeting.

"I had to stay up late last night…were you telling Katara about me and Mai?" he asked suspiciously. Iroh looked briefly to Katara to make sure that she was alright with continuing the conversation in Zuko's presence. She nodded and smiled slightly, indicating that she didn't mind.

"As a matter of fact I was. She seems to be worried about Aang." Iroh answered. Zuko raised his eyebrows, about to mention that he'd just come from talking to Aang, but then kept his mouth shut, realizing that the airbender would most likely not be pleased with him if he told Katara about their conversation. Instead, he allowed Iroh to continue where he'd left off before his entrance. "Katara, I have no doubt that Aang wants to marry you. But I'll tell you a secret: it can take months to work up the courage. In fact, when I was young, it took me nearly a year to decide exactly how I wanted to ask my wife. I'm sure Aang is just as anxious as you are and I wouldn't be surprised if he asked within the next few months. He loves you very much. " This time, Zuko couldn't suppress a snort. Both Katara and his uncle looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry." He apologized. It was almost unbelievable how in sync the couple was without even knowing it, he mused. "Uncle's right. Aang's crazy about you. He's probably just obsessing about how to make it perfect." Katara's lips curve upwards softly and she looked modestly at her lap.

"It doesn't matter. I'd marry him right now even if he just came in here without a necklace and asked. Aang's…he's my world." Iroh smiled.

"And I'm positive he feels the same way. Until then, all one can do is be patient."

* * *

As Aang ran down the palace's many hallways (he could have walked to Appa's stable, but now he was so excited that he couldn't possibly go that slowly) he began to think of all the ways he could possibly ask Katara to marry him. He was so enthralled with the mere idea of it that he nearly missed the sound of Katara herself saying his name. But not quite. He skidded to a halt before the room where he'd heard her, only to stop just before the door. She had not called him as he'd initially thought, rather, she must have only mentioned him, as through the crack of the door, he saw her conversing with Iroh and…Zuko? Curiosity got the better of him and he stayed there, listening intently for a moment.

"…it'll be fine. I don't think he'll be able to wait much longer either." He could hear Zuko saying. Through the crack, Aang's eyes fell on Katara and his heart rate picked up slightly at seeing her, her cheeks a little pinker than usual and a shy smile on her lips.

"Thanks." She took a sip of tea. Iroh smiled.

"It brings me great joy to see such a nice, happy young couple together. I wish only the best for the both of you." A warm feeling of contentment spread through Aang at these words and he couldn't help but grin. He didn't know what exactly they'd been discussing, but it had to have been good. He entered the room now, pretending that he hadn't heard any of what had been said. Regardless though, Katara jumped slightly in her seat when she saw him.

"Hey." He smiled warmly in greeting.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed. "I mean…I just, I didn't know you were here…" She had begun subconsciously stroking a lock of hair that fell over her shoulder, smiling nervously at him. He only extended a hand to her in an invitation to help her up.

"Well." He said cheerily. "Here I am! What were you talking about?" Zuko and Iroh chuckled, and Katara only blushed more deeply.

"Oh, nothing much, you know…just, stuff…" Aang quirked an eyebrow at her but didn't protest, pulling her up as she placed her hand in his.

"Do you wanna go for a ride on Appa with me?" He asked suddenly. His eyes shone with the same enthusiastic, hopeful light that they'd had when he'd first asked her to go penguin sledding with him. She nodded, lacing her fingers with his and mouthing a thank you to Iroh and Zuko before turning to leave with Aang.

"So…" he said when they were outside, giving her a slightly mischievous look. "_What _exactly did you say you were talking about? I thought I heard my name before I came in." Katara gave him a sly smile that he hadn't entirely expected.

"Oh, I'll tell you another time." She answered casually, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Awww." Aang's shoulders slumped and he feigned a disappointed expression. Katara only laughed and reached up to kiss his cheek.

"It's okay. Hopefully you'll know soon."


	56. Birthday Surprises

**A/N: Yeah, it's been forever :(. I've been working 40 hour weeks ever since school ended and this isn't even that long. I'm kinda weighed down with stress, but I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled on thursday so hopefully the downtime required afterwards will give me some writing time as well. If all goes well, I wanted to write a part 2 to this, except I'll probably post it in "Awake" instead for reasons that will become obvious once you reach the end of this chapter lol. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and enjoys their New Years celebrations tonight! **

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

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Katara strolled down the now empty street, feeling rather drained. It had been a long day, she'd been helping nurses at a Ba Sing Se hospital with her healing abilities during her and Aang's stay here and while her work was rewarding, it was also exhausting. She could've sworn she hadn't slept this little since the end of the war. Her lower back ached slightly from standing for such a long time and by now she was more than ready to go home, where she hoped to see Aang. Of course, there was no guarantee he would be there as he often had meetings that lasted all day, but she couldn't help but hope. She knew she would feel better as soon as she saw him. To her happiness, she saw the lights on in their apartment when she finally reached the front door, opening it and stepping inside.

Aang wasn't in the main room, she noticed as she plopped down exhaustedly on one of the sofas, but a pleasant smell was wafting in from the kitchen and she thought she heard the sound of footsteps in the next room.

"Hey." Aang appeared in the entryway to the kitchen, giving her a warm smile in greeting. Instantly, she felt herself relax and found herself smiling back. It was only then that she noticed that Aang was wearing one of his long, formal robes over his normal clothes. She raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you all dressed up?" She questioned. "And why are you home so early? Wasn't there a meeting today?" Instead of answering her right away however, Aang only mirrored her quizzical expression.

"Are you serious?" He asked tentatively. Katara rested her forehead in the palm of her hand, closing her eyes for a moment. Had there been something she'd forgotten that was going on tonight? Did Aang have to go somewhere and bring food? Did she have to go with him? Try as she might, she couldn't think of anything. She groaned, frustrated. She hoped she hadn't forgotten anything important...

"Yes." She answered with a sigh. "What's going on?" Aang's smile fell.

"Katara…" He said gently. "It's your birthday, remember? I made mango tarts to surprise you and…" he trailed off. Katara's eyes widened. Had she really been too busy to remember her own birthday? Nevertheless, Aang only smiled again.

"Well." He said cheerfully. "I guess it is a surprise then." Katara couldn't help but laugh as Aang extended a hand to her to help her off the couch. "Happy birthday." He said warmly, kissing her cheek and giving her hand a squeeze. Despite her tiredness, Katara felt a surge of happiness and stopped Aang to hug him tightly.

"Thank you." She murmured, pressing her lips against his in a brief kiss. "You're the sweetest, you know that?" Aang only grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I try." He led her by the hand into the kitchen where she sat again and he placed one of the tarts in front of her, watching as she lifted it to her mouth and closed her eyes softly as she bit into it, letting out a hum of contentment. Though she supposed it was rather selfish, she couldn't help but feel relieved that neither she nor Aang didn't in fact have to go anywhere tonight and that they could just stay here together. She didn't think could have forced herself to go out again.

"I love you so much." She sighed. Aang smiled and sat beside her, resting a hand on her back.

"Long day?" he asked. Katara nodded.

"I'm exhausted."

"Too exhausted to come outside with me for just a little after you're done with that?" Aang asked. Katara opened her eyes and gave him a small smile.

"I'm never too tired to spend time with you." She murmured. Aang blushed slightly but beamed nonetheless, waiting patiently for Katara to finish her food before taking her hand again as they headed for the back doors of the apartment which led to a small garden behind the building. It was only then that Katara paused.

"Wait a minute, I need to change." She said suddenly. Aang raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? No one's gonna see us." Katara shook her head.

"I'll be right back, I promise." When she reached the room she shared with Aang, Katara opened her closet door and pulled out one of her formal dresses, a blue silk gown with golden lily patterns and collar fastenings. The fabric was soft and comfortable, and the dress made Katara feel simple but pretty rather than flashy and overdone like many of the other girls at the formal events she sometimes attended with Aang. She also knew that he liked this one. Only a few minutes later, she stepped back out, a smile on her face. Suddenly, she didn't feel as tired. Aang beamed when he saw her.

"Wow. You didn't have to…" He murmured. Katara only linked hands with him again and leaned her head on his shoulder, nudging him playfully.

"Come on." She said. "You're all dressed up and handsome, so I have to at least try to look nice after all you've done this evening."

"You always look beautiful, Katara." Aang replied easily, causing her to blush. He'd said it a million times, but she still couldn't help the way her heart skipped each one of them.

"Thanks." She said softly. They were silent for a moment before Katara spoke again. "So…" She began. "What did you want to take me out here for anyways?"

"You'll see." Aang answered, his eyes sparkling excitedly. "Close your eyes." Katara did so with a small smile.

"Whatever this is Aang, I just want you to know that you didn't have to do anything for me just because it's my birthday." She told him. Aang only took her free hand in his own and began leading her forwards.

"And you know that I still will no matter how many times you say that." He laughed. Katara shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?" She wondered, though a smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth. Aang shrugged though he knew she couldn't see it.

"Whatever you want to. You can open your eyes now, by the way." Katara complied, only to bring her hands to cover her mouth upon taking in the view before her.

"Aang..." she breathed. Before her stood a beautiful fountain with four pools stacked on top of one another, each one overflowing and spilling into the next one down until it reached the base, a shallow pool carved in an oval shape. Aang grinned proudly and motioned her closer.

"Look." He urged, pointing to the base, where Katara noticed her name was engraved. "Aang...did you make this?" She asked in wonder. Her husband nodded.

"I figured since we come here so often you should have a nice spot to waterbend in private. I know it's not easy for you at the public fountains because of all the people around and stuff...so I made you this." He hesitated, shifting his gaze sideways in an attempt to gauge her reaction. "Do you like it?"

Her vision blurring slightly with tears, Katara threw her arms around him before she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him soundly. He grinned at her when they parted.

"Is that a yes?" Katara only laughed tearfully and nodded.

"It's beautiful...how did you even do it?"

"It took me a little while to get it to look nice, but actually building it wasn't too bad. It's pretty much just earth and waterbending." He said modestly. "It was worth it for you. I know these past few months have been kinda stressful so I thought something like this might help." Katara beamed.

"It's wonderful Aang." She said earnestly, at last daring to touch the stone where her name was carved. "What did I do to deserve it, though?" Aang shrugged.

"Just being you." He took a moment to simply gaze at her, taking in her beauty, the way her tan skin glowed under the moonlight, the radiant smile on her lips and the sparkle in her blue eyes. Suddenly, he had an idea, and he smiled, extending his hand to her. "Dance with me?" He requested softly. There was no music and Katara couldn't even remember the last time they'd had the opportunity to dance together, but there was no way she could refuse the look on Aang's face. She nodded, placing one hand into his and the other on his shoulder, feeling his rest on her waist. They moved slowly together, Katara allowing Aang to lead her, push and pull. She rested her forehead against his, allowing herself to fall into his gray eyes and get lost in their depths.

"Happy birthday." He murmured to her when they stopped, the night air silent around them except for the sound of running water.

"Thank you so much Aang, for all of this..." Katara whispered in reply as they sat on the edge of the fountain, hands still linked.

"I hoped you'd like it." He grinned, leaning over to place a kiss on her forehead.

"I love it." She answered sincerely, briefly bending a sphere of water out of the pool and guiding it through several snake-like figures before releasing it back into the water. They sat in a peaceful silence for a bit before Katara stirred beside her beloved.

"Actually..." She said suddenly, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "There's still one more thing I'd like." Aang looked slightly surprised as Katara was not normally the type to ask for anything, but he listened nonetheless.

"What is it?" Katara grinned, blushing slightly.

"Well..." She started. "This one's more for both of us. I have to thank you properly after all. Come on." She stood up, and a look of realization crossed Aang's features, followed by a faint blush and a soft smile. He got to his feet as well, slipping an arm around her waist.

"As you wish, my lovely wife." They entered their apartment once more and Katara paused, capturing Aang's lips in a kiss before proceeding the rest of the way to the room they shared.

"You know..." she whispered. "Maybe it's a good thing I forgot it was my birthday, otherwise I might've invited Toph or something." Aang only laughed, giving her an affectionate squeeze before shutting the door behind them.


	57. Stranger

**A/N: No I'm not dead :/. However, I've been working 40-50 hours a week all month, so that's pretty much why I haven't updated and I'm really sorry to keep throwing these excuses at you guys, cuz you deserve better :(. I can't completely promise that I'll update more frequently now because I'm back in classes and working about 20 hours a week. Buttt I will do my best because I miss writing a whole lot. Luckily though, this is a long chapter, so hopefully it somewhat makes up for my absence. Thanks for being so patient, I love you guys. Anyhow, this is sort of a different take on Aang and Katara pre-engagement that I doubt would *actually* happen, but hey, it's fanfiction for a reason.**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

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At fifteen, Aang had grown from a child to an undeniably handsome young man. So to Katara, it was only natural that so many girls would be after him. It didn't bother her as much as she would have thought it would though. She trusted Aang, and none of these girls were a real threat to their relationship, as annoying as it was that whenever word got out that the avatar would be attending a party or ball, a disproportionate number of young ladies would show up dressed in the most revealing, tight fitting formalwear they could find. Still, even this didn't pose too much of a problem as Aang had taken to staying at Katara's side for the entirety of the evening to show that he wasn't available. Most of the time, this strategy was fairly effective in achieving the desired effect. Everyone could see that Katara was beautiful and she unintentionally stood out as she looked much more elegant in her dresses that were not designed especially for the sake of showing skin. And everyone could tell that Aang was absolutely enraptured with her. Even if there hadn't been throngs of girls to avoid, it was obvious that Aang would've still stuck to his beloved's side like glue for the entire evening. However, if they ever separated, the avatar almost always instantly regretted it. At this particular moment, Katara had wandered off to get a drink, leaving him momentarily alone.

"Avatar Aang." A singsong female voice called to him and he mentally groaned, but put on an air of polite acknowledgement when he came face to face with a girl in a form fitting green dress. Her face was perfectly made up, each neat, black hair in place. "You look really handsome." She didn't, Aang noticed, blush or giggle like many of the other girls did. Rather, a mischievous smile tugged at the corner of her painted lips. From an objective standpoint, Aang couldn't deny that she was beautiful, but that didn't make him feel any better. The way she was looking at him actually made him feel a bit uneasy.

"Thank you." He said formally. The girl playfully made a face.

"So serious. Come on, have some fun. Dance with me." Aang barely managed to force a smile as he shook his head politely.

"Sorry, I'm waiting for my girlfriend, Katara. She's just getting a drink." He explained. The girl pouted.

"Girlfriend, hm? Well, come on. One dance wouldn't upset her, unless she's the jealous type." Aang felt every intention of being nice slip away. This girl was trying to manipulate him away from Katara.

"She's not. I'm not worried about getting in trouble with her, but I told her I'd wait for her so I will." The girl only continued to smile that smile of hers.

"Okay." She said lightly, to Aang's surprise.

"Maybe I'll see you sometime soon. My name's Ayumi." As she turned her back and walked away, Aang inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he should start attending these events in disguise…

Katara was about to return to Aang when a girl in a tight green dress stepped into her path, giving her an odd smile.

"Hi." She greeted. Katara gave her a rather puzzled expression.

"Hi." She answered.

"I just had a question." The girl said casually. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…"

"The avatar's your boyfriend, huh?" Ayumi asked. Katara nodded warily.

"Yes, Aang and I are together." Ayumi smiled again.

"Well, he seems to think you'd get jealous if he danced with another girl. But I told him that I didn't think you'd be that kind of person. You wouldn't mind if I had just one dance with him, would you?" she asked. Katara realized exactly what this girl was trying to do, but suddenly, she didn't know how to stop it. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't admit to this girl that one dance would make her jealous. Besides, Aang was all hers for the rest of the evening and even beyond that and they probably wouldn't see this girl ever again. Still, she mentally resolved to keep a close eye out before giving her answer.

"No, it's fine." She faked a friendly smile and Ayumi gave her an equally fake one in return.

"Great! Thanks." And then she was off, turning her back on Katara and approaching Aang with that unsettling smile of hers. Katara continued to watch them uncomfortably as Aang reluctantly accepted Ayumi at last. Though she knew it meant nothing, Katara couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of envy at the way they looked, at least from a distance, perfect together. Ayumi was a graceful dancer as was Aang, not to mention she looked beautiful. Nobody could deny that. Katara sighed and turned her gaze elsewhere.

"Hey." Ayumi said softly when Aang brought them to a stop. "This was fun. Maybe I could see you again tomorrow evening? Or tonight, if you catch my drift." Her voice had suddenly grown too soft, her body pressing against his in a way that he would rather it not.

"Sorry." He answered. "I'm...going to ask Katara to marry me soon. I can't. I would never do that to her." His voice was cold, no longer feigning kindness. This girl was crossing the line now.

"Oh Aang...don't be so old fashioned. You're the most powerful man in the world, no one in your position has only one woman, you must know that." Aang frowned deeply.

"That isn't true. Katara's father and my friend Zuko would also never do that. And even if they did, I still wouldn't. I think you have the wrong idea of what kind of person I am." He didn't linger any longer, heading straight to rejoin Katara and not listening to hear if Ayumi had anything else to say to him before he left.

After several dances, Ayumi practically forgotten, Katara and Aang left the ballroom together to catch some fresh air, and sat together on a flight of narrow stairs cut off from the rest of the palace.

"So..." Aang began, grinning at Katara and eliciting a laugh from her. She laced her fingers with his, leaning against him affectionately, happy to be alone with him.

"I meant to ask you...what did that girl say to you?" Katara's smile faded. "Why, what'd she say to you?" Aang shrugged.

"I was just wondering. She wouldn't leave me alone and then she just told me she'd ask you if it was okay to dance with me. To be honest, I was hoping you'd say no." Katara sighed.

"She said that you thought I'd get jealous and wanted me to tell her that I wouldn't be so she could dance with you." Aang's eyes widened.

"I never said that! I said you weren't the jealous type but that I was going to wait for you anyways." Katara waved a hand dismissively, but inside she couldn't help but feel better. She'd hoped Aang didn't see her that way.

"It's fine." She said. "I figured she was just trying to get to me through you or something. I'm glad we left when we did." She admitted. Aang smiled, relieved.

"I am too. I'd much rather be alone with you than anywhere or with anyone else." He said seriously, his voice low. The words sent a low tingle through Katara's core, and she soon found herself cupping Aang's face to kiss him deeply, feeling him wrap her in his arms and fall willingly into the moment.

"Mmmm..." She sighed contentedly when they parted. It had been a busy week and she and Aang had hardly had any time to be alone together like this and while the kiss had been incredibly satisfying, it had simultaneously wetted her appetite for more.

"Hey, your meeting ends before tomorrow evening, right?" She asked, raising her eyebrows with a smile. Aang grinned.

"Yeah, it does." He started, but then his expression changed, as though he'd just remembered something.

"But I can't tomorrow. How about the day after?" Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? What's happening tomorrow evening?" She asked. Aang sighed. "I can't tell you." He'd hoped he wouldn't have had to say that, but the fact of the matter was that there was no way he could tell her about this, as much as he wanted to. She instantly looked hurt.

"Why not?" Aang inwardly winced. It killed him to keep her in the dark like this.

"Because I just can't. But it's nothing bad, I promise. I'll tell you in a month or so." He said reassuringly. Katara looked like she might be ready to argue about it, but seemed to think better of it and sighed instead.

"Fine." She said softly. Aang pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

"I'm really sorry." He apologized, unable to help but feel guilty about leaving her out, even if it was necessary, for now. "But look, I promise the day after we can spend all day together, okay? It'll be fun." Though she was still disappointed, Katara seemed to brighten slightly.

"Okay." Aang's shoulders slumped in relief.

The next day went by rather uneventfully, with Aang staying holed up in his room when he returned from his meeting and Katara spending the day out with Toph for a change. She still felt a little put off about what had happened with Aang last night, and though Toph wasn't exactly a comforting person, she at least provided a good distraction and prevented her from overreacting.

"Alright sweetness. What's eating you?" She asked almost the instant they sat down at a small outdoor café for some tea. Katara sighed, resting her head in hear palms.

"Is it that obvious?"

"I know you, remember? You've been this way since last night. Just spit it out." Toph answered flatly.

"It's about Aang." Katara said quickly and quietly as the waiter set her and Toph's tea on the table before them. Toph looked surprised.

"Twinkletoes? Since when do you two have any problems?" She questioned. Katara thanked the waiter and took a sip of her tea before answering.

"I don't know. But, last night I asked him if we could spend the evening together tomorrow because I know he's free, but then he said no and that he couldn't tell me why, at least not yet." She explained dejectedly. Just thinking about the conversation frustrated her. Aang never kept secrets from her. What could this possibly be? Toph raised an eyebrow.

"Not yet?" She inquired.

"He said he'd tell me in a month or so. And I can't figure out what could be going on now that won't be important a month later." Toph looked thoughtful and eventually shrugged.

"I don't know. But whatever it is, you shouldn't worry about it. Aang's crazy about you, so I really don't think there's much that could go wrong. I'm sure he has a good reason." Katara however, was still playing nervously with her braid.

"Are you sure?" Toph rolled her sightless eyes.

"Positive. You have nothing to worry about. If you still don't believe me, I can't remember ever feeling him lie to you."

Aang stretched his arms over his head and leaned back in his chair, his shoulders aching slightly from sitting here, bent over his work for hours. Still, he kept up his patience. This was a labor of love after all, for Katara. He was just putting the final touches on her betrothal necklace and he couldn't wait to show it to her. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. Hastily, he slipped the necklace into his pocket.

"Come in." He called, expecting to see Katara, or maybe Zuko in the doorway. Only, it was neither of them. Instead, that girl from the other night, Ayumi? Stood in the entrance to his room. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Before he could say a word to her, she had shut the door behind her and slowly made her way to his side, that smile of hers playing on her lips. Once again, her hair and makeup were done perfectly and she was wearing an embroidered robe that looked awfully familiar.

"Hello again, Avatar Aang. You seem rather lonely." Aang shook his head, realizing what she was implying.

"I'm fine. Look, Ayumi, I'm sure you're a nice girl, but I'm asking Katara to marry me." He withdrew the unfinished betrothal necklace from his pocket to show her. It was only then that he realized he had no idea how she'd even gotten into the Earth King's palace to begin with, let alone how she'd found his room. "How…how'd you even…?" Ayumi just giggled and tapped his nose.

"My father's in charge of the Earth King's security team." She told him. _Maybe I should look into getting one of those too…_Aang thought rather darkly to himself. "Anyways." She continued, unfastening the robe to reveal a tighter silk gown underneath. It was only then that Aang realized where he'd seen the robe before.

"Why do you have Katara's clothes?" He demanded, tossing away any attempt at being polite at this point.

"A servant was just bringing it up from the wash, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I used it for one evening. You did tell me she isn't the jealous type, after all. Besides, avatar, as I said yesterday, someone in your position certainly doesn't need to commit to one person. I'm sure she'd understand that." Before Aang could even answer, she had crept up behind his chair and bent down to wrap her arms around his chest and press her lips against his ear. He tensed, ready to wrench himself from her grasp, when the door opened again.

"Aang, have you seen my-" Katara froze in her tracks and Aang's heart stopped. This was _not _happening. He watched, horrified, unable to speak, as she snatched her robe from the bed where Ayumi had tossed it.

"Aang said I could borrow it, I hope you don't mind." Ayumi said casually, just as Aang stood up from his chair to run to Katara's side and grasp her hands. Before he had a chance to speak, however, she stopped him.

"No, Aang, I get it." She choked out. "You didn't want to tell me what was going on tonight and I think this pretty much explains it. You don't have to tell me anymore about it." She withdrew her hands forcefully from his. "I can't believe you would do this to me…I trusted you."

"Katara, I-" Aang could feel his heart beating entirely too fast, his mouth running dry in panic. He'd never, ever seen Katara look so hurt, so betrayed and it killed him.

"No! Just shut up and don't talk to me!" The last words were swallowed by a sob before she slammed the door. Aang could hear her running down the hallway, forgetting about Ayumi entirely as he dashed out of the room and used his airbending to catch up with her, he had to fix this, had to make her understand…

"Katara, please just listen! She just appeared in my room! I didn't want her there! I was about to-"

"Then why'd you tell me you were busy tonight? Leave me _alone_!" Her eyes were already red from crying, and the last word rung in the air after she screamed it. Aang had never heard her yell that way before, especially not at him and for a moment, he simply stood there, frozen, before she turned her back on him once again and rushed the rest of the way down the hallway to her own room where she slammed the door, her sobs echoing through the empty hall.

"Katara!" He called. "Katara, please!" This couldn't happen, he couldn't lose her, not after everything, but how could he explain?

"Come back inside, Aang, she just doesn't under-" Ayumi was peeking out from the doorway to his bedroom.

"Get out." He interrupted her, his voice shaking, his hands clenched into fists. The air around them began to stir, the torches that illuminated the hallway beginning to flicker.

"Aang-"

"Leave, _now_." The wind picked up, and Aang's tattoos began to glow. At last, Ayumi scampered down the stairs, only for another voice to replace hers.

"Twinkletoes, stop! You'll destroy the whole palace if you do this!" Toph grabbed him firmly by the wrist and yanked him back to the floor which he had begun to rise away from. The winds stopped, and Aang fell to his knees, feeling his heart fill with despair. Toph rolled her eyes. "Come on." She stomped her foot lightly, causing the marble floor to shake and Aang to jolt to his feet again. "We need to talk." Aang winced as her fist closed around his wrist again and she pulled him towards the room from which he'd just come, shutting the door behind her before sitting on the bed and glowering at him with her sightless eyes. "First of all." She began. "You need to control yourself. You can't go all glowy inside or you'll destroy everything." She admonished. Aang let out a long breath through his nose and sat next to her, trying to exercise _some_ restraint over the emotions raging within him. He wanted to cry, scream, beg Katara for mercy… "And also, you need to tell me what in the world just happened." At this, Aang couldn't help but allow a few tears to fall. He'd hurt Katara, not purposefully, but still. The very thought made him feel sick.

"Oh, this must be bad." She sighed. "Look, whatever it is can't be bad enough to keep you apart forever, just tell me what happened." Aang looked at her, his breath shaking as he tried to hold back more tears. Toph found herself being thankful for the fact that she couldn't see, because what she was hearing was pitiful enough and she was afraid she might actually end up feeling _sorry_ for her old pupil if this kept up. And she wasn't the best at comforting people.

"I met this girl last night." He began. Toph winced. She couldn't remember the last time he'd sounded so…hopeless. "She wanted to dance with me, but I told her I couldn't because I was waiting for Katara. So then she went over and asked Katara, who apparently said it was okay. So we danced, and then she tried to tell me that I was too powerful to commit to one girl and that she could "keep me company." I told her I wasn't interested and Katara and I left, and then she asked if we could spend this evening together and…" Toph held up a hand, stopping him.

"She told me that part earlier. But why?" Aang sighed, sadly withdrawing the betrothal necklace and pressing it into Toph's hand so she could feel it.

"Wow." She murmured. "Is this...?" Aang nodded.

"Yeah, it is. I was gonna ask her in a month or so when I finished it, but now…she probably never wants to talk to me again. I told her tonight wouldn't work because I had to work on it and it's supposed to be a surprise, you know? But then, that girl from last night showed up out of nowhere, she said her dad was in charge of the Earth King's security or something and she was wearing Katara's robe that she'd picked up off of a servant, and well, that's where Katara came in, and you probably heard the rest." He finished, deciding to leave out the part about Ayumi wrapping her arms around him and…he shuddered, trying to erase it from his mind.

"Yikes." Toph said, handing the necklace back to Aang. "She won't listen to you?" Aang looked down, feeling more dejected than ever. "No, and I don't blame her. I mean, it would be one thing if she'd seen that by itself, but the fact that I said we couldn't be together tonight…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I don't know how I'll explain it to her."

"That is a tough break." Toph agreed. "But don't give up. I mean, I don't normally say this, but you and her really do have something special. She loves you. I don't think one misunderstanding can last very long." Aang sighed shakily.

"You really think so?" Toph nodded.

"You know what? If she's not listening to you, I'll talk to her. Just sit tight." Aang's eyes widened in surprise.

"You'd do that?" It was very unlike Toph to get at all involved in matters of the heart, and Aang was quite frankly astonished that she was making this a priority.

"Hey, I do have a soul, you know?" She reminded him, punching him in the shoulder. Though, Aang noted, it was a much softer punch than usual. For the first time that evening, he smiled.

"Thanks Toph." She waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't mention it. But don't get too used to it either. This is a special favor."

Katara sat at her mirror, trying to work through a knot in her hair. It had been an entire day since she'd seen Aang, but it felt like at least a week. And today was supposed to have been their day together. She set the brush down and rubbed her temples, bowing her head so that she wouldn't have to see herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying despite her talk with Toph. While her friend's words had been reassuring, they weren't enough to make up for the fact that she had yet to speak with Aang herself. This was only made worse by the fact that she honestly felt she couldn't blame him if he never wanted to talk to her again.

"Katara…" As if on cue, she heard her name accompanied by a light knock on the door. _Aang. _

"Can we talk? Please?" He asked from the other side. Taking a deep breath Katara readied herself for an answer.

"Okay." She bit her lip nervously, a familiar chill running through her when Aang himself stepped through the door.

"Aang..." She breathed. "I'm so…I shouldn't have. Last night…I'm so sorry…" She couldn't for the life of her get the words to come out in the right order. At least Aang seemed at least slightly relieved, though. He put his hands up.

"No, it's okay. I know what it must've looked like and I'm really, really sorry. I never wanted this to happen. I just hope you can understand that I really never meant to hurt you. I feel awful." Katara looked up at him, eyes shimmering.

"I know. But you shouldn't. Toph told me you were telling the truth and deep down, I think I knew you wouldn't do something like that. I was just too angry and confused to think straight and I took it out on you. So, _I'm _sorry." Aang shook his head.

"Still, I don't blame you. And you deserve an explanation so…the truth is, I was working on a surprise for you and it isn't done yet so I didn't want you to see it. And Anami or whatever her name was…dad is the head of the Earth King's security council so…" Katara waved a hand dismissively.

"I know. Toph told me that part." Aang's eyes widened in alarm.

"She didn't tell you about the surprise though, did she?" For the first time that day, Katara laughed.

"No, she didn't." A rather awkward pause ensued and Aang found himself blushing deeply. Katara's eyes darted around uneasily and she tried again to work through the knot in her hair, only for the brush to get caught once again.

"Oh um…let me help you…" Aang half stammered and Katara couldn't help but smile as she passed him the brush, feeling him take hold of her hair below the roots so he wouldn't pull it out of her scalp (a trick she'd taught him many years ago) before trying to work through the tangle at the ends. She gave a shuddering sigh of relief, more than anything else thankful that Aang wasn't angry with her. He set the brush down and stood before her again.

"You've been crying, haven't you?" He asked softly after a moment. Katara looked away, glaring at a spot on the floor. Before she could say anything, Aang had lowered himself to his knees before her and taken her hands.

"Katara, I'm so sorry, I know I hurt you and I have to be more careful. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you now but-" Katara squeezed his hands in a silent request for him to stop.

"Aang." She interrupted him and slid gracefully out of the chair to join her beloved on the floor. Before he could react, she had cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. He sighed against her lips, wrapping her tightly in his arms and grinning sheepishly when they parted. "Look. It did hurt, but it isn't your fault. I know you're the avatar, and a handsome one at that-" She paused, smiling slyly before continuing "so I have to realize that sometimes things like that will come up. I mean, you never got angry with me when those other water tribe guys proposed to me last year. I just…reacted too quickly because it made me angry. You don't have to feel guilty for that. But…if you still want to make it up to me, the day isn't over yet and we were supposed to spend it together, remember?" Aang brightened considerably, helping Katara to her feet.

"Really? You'd still like to go out?" He asked excitedly. Katara laughed and nodded.

"I'd love to."


	58. For You Only

**A/N: Hello again readers! Goodness, it's been a long time and I'm sorry :/. Luckily, this time I can actually tell you for sure that it won't be as long till the next chapter because I already have it and half of the one after written ^^. It's spring break and even though I'm still crazy busy, I'm inspired again so I'll try to make time to write instead of just letting everything overwhelm me. Anyways, as some of you have probably seen, the first episode of Korra was leaked online. I'll admit I was kind of scared (and still sorta am) because I wasn't sure how it would compare to the Avatar that we all know and love and it makes me hurt a little inside that almost all our beloved characters are dead in it. However, they'll never actually be dead because we're (at least I am) still gonna be writing about them and the comic book series isn't finished yet ^^. If you're like me and are feeling nostalgic for the old characters, just look at it this way: the fact that the rest of their lives were never covered in the actual series just gives us more room for fun and imagination, so the decision to skip to Korra on the creators' part sorta helps keep fanfiction alive, I think. Anyhow, I'm sure that I'll come to love Korra in time as well. Whew, that was long. Back to relevant stuff. This is a request from SummerSweetheart so happy readings to her and everyone else!**

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Aang had come to Kyoshi as quickly as he could after he'd heard the news about Katara from Sokka's messenger hawk. Going away for avatar duties was never easy on either of them, but after Sokka's message, Aang felt more guilty than he could remember feeling in years. He'd left his wife just a week ago with the beginnings of a cold, though it had taken some convincing on her and the rest of their small family's part. Suki had assured him that Katara would be fine and that as they were all there for each other, there was no need for him to worry. Oh, how wrong she'd been. Not that Aang blamed her, but Sokka's message had said that Katara wasn't eating and could barely get out of bed now. After unsaddling Appa, Aang ran straight for the house where he knew his wife to be, his heart thudding anxiously.

No one was sitting in the main room when he entered, so he quickly shut the door and half walked, half flew to the room he always shared with his wife when they visited Sokka and Suki. He paused in the door frame, his eyes softening and a frown coming to his lips upon taking in the scene before him. Suki sat in a chair by the bed, in which lay Katara herself, curled on her side and shivering slightly despite being wrapped in several blankets. Her face was pale rather than its usual healthy brown, her cheeks flushed. Suki lifted her eyes to him and bested a smile, rising from her position to meet him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gulped.

"How…how is she?" he croaked. "What happened?" Suki cast him a sympathetic look.

"She's been this way since three days after you left. She kept saying she was fine, and then that day, she just…collapsed when she and I were making dinner. We talked to some healers and apparently something bad's been going around the island. They told us that the only thing we could really do is to try and get her to eat and…wait." Aang nodded, his own face becoming ashen as he approached the bed and took his wife's hand. Her fingers were moist with sweat, but Aang smiled slightly when they squeezed his, even as she slept.

"Did they say if she's gonna be okay? What happened to the other people who got this?" He asked quietly, so as not to disrupt Katara's slumber. Though Aang could tell she tried to hide it, Suki winced, as she'd been hoping he wouldn't ask that question.

"Well…" she began. "Only one or two very old people have died. Katara's young and strong so…" But Aang didn't hear anything after the word _died_. People had died from this sickness. Katara could die from this sickness, Katara had a disease that could kill her. He felt like his whole chest was collapsing. This was all his fault, if only he hadn't left when she needed him. How could he have? Suki however, apparently read the emotions his face did a poor job of hiding and came to sit by him before saying gently but firmly.

"Look, I know it sounds bad, and I know you're probably about to blame yourself, but you shouldn't. There was no way of knowing she'd get like this, and all that matters is that you're here now and you can help her. Those other people probably had some other sickness already and they were already fragile. Besides, beating yourself up isn't going to help anyone, so don't even think about it." Aang only gave a shuddering sigh and nodded once more. He knew Suki was right, and he was surprised at how quickly she'd picked up how he was feeling.

"What can I do for her?" He asked, unable to completely control the hint of desperation in his voice, despite his friends' reassuring words. He couldn't help it when he knew Katara was in any kind of trouble.

"Keep her cool." Suki answered gesturing to a rag sitting in a wooden bowl at Katara's bedside. "And make sure she drinks the rest of that tea when she wakes up." Aang nodded.

"I will." Suki smiled, genuinely this time and stood up.

"You know, I'm sure just seeing you will make her feel better. Sokka and I are right outside if you need anything." Aang returned the smile in thanks and then turned his full attention to Katara.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her, standing up and taking the washcloth out of its bowl to dab at her forehead. "I should've stayed…" Her brow furrowed at the contact and Aang's eyes widened when hers fluttered open.

"A-Aang?" She asked uncertainly, and judging by the glazed look in her eyes Aang guessed the sight of his face wasn't completely in focus for her. Still, he did his best to smile for her sake.

"I'm here." He murmured. Now it was her eyes that widened and she sat up with surprising abruptness, causing Aang to move back. Almost as soon as she was sitting up straight however, she doubled back in a fit of coughs and Aang gently placed his hand against her upper back, lowering her back down. "Easy there." He murmured, only to be cut off.

"What are you doing here?" She asked weakly. "You're supposed to be…supposed to be…"

"Shh." Aang hushed her. "I know. I was supposed to be in Republic City, but not now. I'm supposed to be there for my wife when she needs me too, right?" Even in her exhausted state, Katara looked conflicted as she pondered his words.

"I…" She began, and then caught her husband's eye, recognizing the familiar concerned, caring gaze, feeling him close to her again… She closed her eyes softly in defeat. "I missed you." Her voice trembled slightly and Aang lowered himself to her level to take her into his arms.

"Me too. And whatever you do, I don't want you to worry about me leaving Republic City right now. They've got it under control. You just have to focus on getting better." Katara gave him a tired smile and slumped back against her pillows, enjoying the feel of Aang's cool touch against her cheek.

"Here. Suki said you should drink this." He helped her sit half way up and held the warm drink to her lips.

"I'm strong enough to hold a teacup by myself, Aang." She informed him, just a hint of playfulness in her hoarse voice. Aang shook his head in response.

"Just let me help you, okay?" Katara sighed, though her lips were still curved upwards in a smile as she surrendered, allowing Aang to hold the teacup as she drank. To his relief, she finished the drink, leaning back again in exhaustion with a sigh. Aang winced upon hearing her breathe in the silence that momentarily settled over them, each inhale sounded like it took all of her strength. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked upon recalling Suki's words. Katara frowned, biting her lip.

"I don't know." She confessed, and Aang frowned. "It's okay." She added rather hastily. "I'm not hungry." However, Aang had already pushed himself off of the bed.

"You should still eat something. You need it. I'll be right back." He was about to leave the room when Katara called softly after him-

"Promise?" He turned back and gave her his most reassuring smile, bending slightly to kiss her forehead.

"I promise." He could only assume that her fever was making her less like herself, for the slightly fearful look in her eyes was one he was not accustomed to seeing. Still, it only made him more determined to stay true to his word. He gave her hand one last squeeze before exiting the room, exhaling softly as he moved towards the kitchen, finding Suki already there. She turned around upon hearing him enter.

"Is she awake?" She asked quietly. Aang nodded.

"I told her she should eat something. Do you have anything already made?" Suki chuckled.

"I have too much made. I keep thinking that she'll get really hungry so I cook a lot, but she never seems to. You might be better at convincing her to eat than Sokka and I though. Speaking of which, aren't you hungry?" Aang waved a hand dismissively.

"I'll eat when she goes back to sleep. Which could be soon, so I want her to eat first." Suki laughed slightly as she nodded, filling a small bowl with soup from a large pot and handing it to Aang, who immediately moved to leave for Katara's room.

"Whoa, slow down, you don't even have a spoon!" Aang halted upon hearing Suki behind him and he turned back, grinning sheepishly as she handed him the utensil. "And calm down, you're making _me _nervous just watching you."

"Sorry." Aang apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. Suki only chuckled.

"Whatever. Just try not to panic too much, okay?" Aang nodded with a small smile as he moved to leave once more

"I'll try."

* * *

"Back." He announced upon returning to Katara's room, moving to sit beside her in the bed. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the food.

"You're gonna make me, aren't you?" She asked warily.

"Come on Katara, you're a healer. You know better than anyone how important it is to eat." Aang urged. She nodded.

"I know." She sighed. "I just haven't been hungry. I don't even like food anymore…" Aang frowned, covering her hand with his own.

"I know you don't. But you know you have to eat. Please Katara, for me." He beseeched and when she caught the pleading, concerned look in his eyes, she couldn't help but allow her shoulders slump in defeat. Before Aang could say another word, she had taken the bowl gently from his hands and brought it to her lap, spooning the broth into her mouth. Aang looked at her quizzically for a moment and then shook his head lightly. Perhaps, he thought, Katara's sickness was making her less stubborn as well, not that he was complaining in this particular case. She managed to finish half the bowl before pushing it away and closing her eyes once more, looking exhausted. Aang took the unfinished food from her and tucked the covers gently around her, brushing a damp strand of hair out of her face.

"Tired?" He asked. She nodded, opening her eyes half way to look at him.

"You'll stay, won't you?" She requested softly. Aang nodded.  
"Of course." He lifted the covers so he could crawl in next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and curling himself around her. She nuzzled close to him, placing a kiss against his jaw. He approached her lips with the same intention, but she pushed him gently away.

"I don't want you to get sick too…" She said sleepily. Were it not such a grim situation, Aang would have laughed for she had just requested he stay with her, but it didn't truly matter. He couldn't possibly leave her alone in a time like this.

"I'll be fine." He assured, caressing her cheek. "You just get some rest." Without further protest, Katara shut her eyes again, and soon enough her ragged breathing evened out, though it was still labored and painful to listen to. Aang only held her closer and tried to find sleep himself.

* * *

When he woke again, it was still dark outside, and Aang realized with slight annoyance that his stomach was growling. It was only then that he recalled he never had been able to get around to eating dinner, despite Suki's recommendation that he take care of himself as well as his wife. With a sigh, he eased himself oh so carefully out of bed so as not to wake Katara and slipped out of his day clothes, pulling on a robe in their place and leaving the room on tip toes, igniting a small flame in the palm of one hand for light. He nearly stumbled backwards upon reaching the kitchen however, as he saw a dark figure sitting at the table when he'd expected to be quite alone. The figure spun around.

"Who's there…Aang?" Aang's racing heart slowed. It was only Sokka.

"Hi." He greeted, coming to sit beside his brother in law. "Sorry to scare you." Sokka waved a hand dismissively.

"I wasn't scared. You were the one who almost fell over." Aang made a face.

"Did not." Sokka raised an eyebrow and Aang exhaled in defeat. "Okay, fine I did. I just didn't expect anyone to be up this late. What are you doing?"

"Having a midnight snack." Sokka answered nonchalantly. "The real question is, why are you up so late?" Aang shrugged.

"I never had dinner at all in the first place. Katara wanted me to stay with her." At the mention of his sister's name, Sokka's shoulder seemed to slump and he sighed heavily.

"Oh yeah." Aang spooned a portion of Suki's soup from the pot that had now grown cold and frowned.

"I feel awful." He confessed. "If I hadn't left when I did…"

"Aang, stop it. If you hadn't gone, Katara would have worried that you weren't doing your job because of her and she would've gotten sicker anyways. I wish it weren't such a double edged sword with her, but it is. She gets lonely when you're gone, but if you stay and ignore what she thinks is your duty, she gets guilty. You know that. Besides, there was no way for any of us to know it would get this bad. It started off as just a regular cold and none of us ever suspected it would get serious." Aang nodded between spoonfuls of soup.

"I know." He admitted. "I just feel so…useless." Sokka pushed his now empty plate of food aside and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"I know, that's how I feel too. I can't do anything. I can't cook for her, I can't tell her what she should do to get better, or anything. But you shouldn't feel that way. You're her best chance for getting better faster. I'm sure just being around you makes her feel much better." Aang seemed to brighten just slightly.

"Really?" Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Of course! I don't think she would've married you if she were happier when you were gone." Aang laughed his first real laugh since arriving.

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"I'm serious though." Sokka continued. "This is the first time since she's gotten sick that she's slept this long through the night. Normally she-" Sokka never had the chance to finish his sentence, for at that moment, a half strangled cry broke through the quiet night air and both men jumped to their feet. The cry was followed by a series of violent coughs that grew louder and louder as Aang and Sokka approached the room where they'd believed Katara to be sleeping peacefully just moments ago. When Aang opened the door, they caught sight of Katara sitting straight up in bed, her eyes wide and her whole body shaking. Aang didn't hesitate to rush to her side, finding her face wet with sweat and tears as she struggled to breathe through her coughing fit.

"Katara…" He breathed. She looked at him almost fearfully and he cupped her face in his hands. "It's okay." He murmured. "It's just me." Looking around the room frantically first, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder. Aang heard the door close behind him, indicating that Sokka had decided to leave the two of them alone. Her breath came in shuddering sobs now and Aang wrapped her in his arms, resting his head atop hers. "It was just a dream." He assured, hoping he sounded more sure of himself than he felt. He rubbed her back, using gentle airbending to help her breathing become more regular again. Seeing her this way made his heart ache.

"Aang…" She murmured when she could breathe again. She pulled back slightly from the embrace, though her hands were still in fists against the sleeves of his robe. She then sighed and shook her head, seeming to become more aware of herself.

"I'm sorry." She said hoarsely. "This fever is making me act crazy." Still, her eyes were wet and she looked visibly shaken. Aang drew her back towards him.

"You're not acting crazy. You're sick, and besides, we all have nightmares sometimes. Don't worry about that, okay?" A tired hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Katara's lips as she slumped in exhaustion, allowing her head to fall against Aang's chest.

"You're one to talk." She croaked. Aang chuckled.

"Fine. But you still don't need to be sorry, this is my job, remember? I kind of promised when I married you." He laced his free hand with hers, giving it a squeeze.

"I love you." He could barely hear the whispered words, but nonetheless they washed over him like warm water as her breath tickled the skin exposed by his loose robe.

"I love you too, Katara." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and he felt her fingers begin to trail up his arm over the tattoo, even as her eyes began to droop once more. She kissed his bare shoulder and he smiled, but laid her back down on the bed. He knew how quickly things could get intimate if he allowed her to continue, and Katara needed rest more than anything else.

"Aw. You're no fun." She joked weakly. Aang laughed, wringing out the washcloth that still sat by the bed and gently dabbing at her forehead.

"You need to rest. I'll be more fun when you're better, I promise." He said fondly, lying beside her again.

"I already feel better." She insisted, though her statement was followed by another cough. Still, Aang could tell she was at least partly telling the truth and that alone gave him more hope than he'd come here with.

"I'm glad." He murmured. He could scarcely believe how accurate Sokka's words from earlier had been. Though, he supposed that if the situation were reversed he would also benefit immeasurably from Katara's presence. He looked at her again, only to find her eyes closed in slumber. Her breathing was still labored and uneven and Aang knew that it could be a while yet before his wife was completely well again, but he thought to himself, considering they had their whole lives ahead of them, this would be but a small obstacle.


	59. Stories

**A/N: Hola! As promised, new chappie :). I'm really on a roll now. I've been feeling quite inspired lately. I also feel much better about Korra when I think of it as more of an epilogue than a new beginning, which is sort of what it is seeing as it's not a full-length series, so I can still focus the bulk of my attentions on ATLA and be happy ^^. I'm especially pleased with the way my next chapter in this is coming out so far. Also, expect a long overdue update on "Awake" sometime within the next few weeks ;). Enjoy!**

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

* * *

Aang tucked Kya into bed, kissing her forehead before moving to blow out the candle by her bedside.

"Goodnight Kya, I love you." He murmured, but her blue eyes were still wide and she sat up, pouting slightly.

"Aww, can't I have a story first?" She asked. Aang chuckled.

"You already had one." He pointed out, though he couldn't help his smile.

"One more? Pleeeeeaaaseee?" She begged. Aang shook his head and sighed. He knew he couldn't refuse her, a trait she seemed to have inherited from Katara and he crawled into bed beside his daughter, feeling her settle almost immediately onto his lap.

"Okay." He conceded. "Just _one_ more. What kind of story do you want?" Kya grinned with glee before adopting a thoughtful expression.

"A scary one." She decided, her eyes shining in the candlelight. "What was the scariest thing that ever happened to you?"

"Asking your mom to marry me." He answered with a smile and Kya giggled.

"That's not scary, silly. I mean really scary!" Aang laughed and held his daughter close.

"You don't really want a scary story right before bedtime do you?" He asked, knowing that if he frightened her too much, she would undoubtedly come running to his and Katara's room later that night. But she nodded vigorously.

"Yeah I do! I can handle it. I'm a big girl now, remember?" She said insistently. Aang smiled softly and sighed, trying to select a story that had truly been frightening to him at the time so as not to be dishonest, but one that wouldn't scare Kya too much.

"Okay." He began after a moment. "A couple months after I met your mom, right after we saved the North Pole from Amiral Zhao, we went to see an Earth Kingdom general who wanted to use the avatar state's power against the Fire Nation to win the war." He paused, glancing down at Kya. She was looking up at him, eyes wide with curiosity as she listened intently. Aang continued.

"The whole time we were there, he tried to get me into the Avatar state, even though your mom told me it wasn't a good idea to win the war that way because I couldn't control myself back then. Anyways, the general tried giving me this special drink to make me more powerful, but it only made me really energetic, no avatar state. Then your Uncle Sokka tried to scare me into it-" Here he paused, smiling at the memory before going on. "But that didn't work either. Then, the general tried bathing me in all the elements, but it only made me sneeze. That night, your mom told me she didn't want to come with me the next day because she never liked seeing me in the Avatar State…" Here, a shadow crossed his face, but he shook it off, not wanting to worry Kya, and pressed onwards. "Anyways, I decided she was right and tried to tell the general I didn't want to go through with his plan anymore, but he wouldn't listen and then he brought Mom out and because he was an earthbender, he trapped her in the ground to upset me. I told him to stop, but he didn't until she was underground and I went into the avatar state. He let her go after that, but I destroyed the whole base by accident and we left that same day." He finished, and Kya frowned.

"That was the scariest moment of your life? Even scarier than fighting the firelord?" She asked. Aang nodded solemnly.

"Much scarier. You know, when you really love someone, it's much scarier to see them in danger than to know you're in danger. I would give my life for mom or any of you in a second." Kya only gazed at him in wonder.

"Really?" She questioned. Aang smiled.

"Really, really." He affirmed. "But you don't have to worry about it because the war's over and we're all safe now. Now, bed. It's getting late." Kya sighed, reluctantly climbing out of her father's lap as he tucked the covers in around her once more.

"Goodnight sweetie. Sweet dreams." He blew out the candle.

"Night Daddy." She answered softly. Aang fondly watched her close her eyes before heading for the door, stepping back in surprise when he saw none other than Katara herself standing there, one hand resting on her pregnant belly.

"One more story, huh?" She asked, her eyes sparkling amusedly. Aang only grinned and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before taking her hand and walking them back to the room they shared, shutting the door behind him.

"You know I can't help it." He told her. She laughed, easing herself down to sit on the edge of the bed. Suddenly, her face took on a more serious expression.

"Is that true though?" She questioned softly. Aang nodded, taking a seat beside her.

"What I told Kya about seeing you in danger being scarier than facing Ozai? Every word of it." He said earnestly. Katara laid a hand on his knee, giving him a concerned look upon seeing the faraway expression on his face.

"Does it still bother you?" She asked gently. Aang was silent for a moment, and he shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to worry Katara with the truth but simultaneously not wanting to lie to her.

"It does, doesn't it?" Reluctantly, Aang nodded before sighing and turning towards his wife.

"Yeah. I never told you, but I had nightmares about that for weeks afterwards. Sometimes I still do. When the general was doing that to you…I thought either way you were gonna get hurt. I was too upset to realize that he probably wouldn't actually kill you even if I didn't get into the avatar state, but I thought if I did get into it, I'd hurt you or kill you by accident. And I wouldn't ever be able to live with myself if that happened." He confessed, his gray eyes taking on that familiar lost look. Katara took his hand again, giving it a comforting squeeze, her thumb tracing the arrow tattoo. "I still worry about it." He continued. "What if I ever lost control around you again, or Kya or Bumi? I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself if I hurt one of you." Before he could continue however, Katara pulled him into a sudden embrace, her rounded stomach preventing them from getting as close as they normally could or would, but Aang couldn't say he minded. He already loved his unborn child as much as the rest of their small family.

"You won't." She assured when she pulled back. "You mastered the avatar state a long time ago, remember? You don't have to worry about it anymore." Aang shook his head.

"I know but…if you or the kids were in danger, I don't know if I _could_ control myself. I'm afraid I'd just get too upset, you know? I mean, I can control my physical actions when I'm in the avatar state, but if I felt like you were being threatened I might not be able to help going into it in the first place." He admitted, casting his gaze downwards. Katara frowned softly.

"Look." She sighed, taking his hand and tilting his face up to meet his gaze. "You're the kindest, sweetest, most considerate person I've ever met. You didn't even kill your greatest enemy when he was completely at your mercy, so there's no way that you would, even in the avatar state, hurt the people you love, I know that for a fact." She told him gently.

"Never on purpose." Aang agreed. "What I'm afraid of is if you happen to be around and something happens on accident…" Katara stopped him however.

"Have you ever, in your whole life, killed someone on accident, Aang?" He shook his head.

"I did burn you though…" Katara sighed.

"When you first tried firebending and you were twelve years old. And even then, I was fine, remember? You're powerful, but you're more careful and in control of it than anyone else I know. Honestly, I think it's more likely that Sokka will become an airbender tomorrow than that you'll hurt me or one of the kids." At last, Aang laughed.

"Really?" Katara nodded, kissing her husband briefly on the lips.

"Really. You were scared to even hold Kya when she was first born, remember? You were so afraid you'd drop her or something that she was with me almost all the time for the first week." At this, they both laughed, Aang grinning sheepishly.

"I guess that's true." He conceded. "I just can't help but worry sometimes, you know? I just love you so much that it's hard not to. You and the kids are my whole world, I mean that. And since I lost my whole world once…I guess I'm just a little scared because whenever everything seems perfect, it also feels so fragile so I want to do everything I possibly can to protect it." Katara nodded and gave his hand another squeeze, lacing her fingers with his.

"I understand. I mean, I know how you feel. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to any of you either. But sometimes it's best to just take life one day at a time without worrying about what might possibly happen in the worst case scenario, you know?" She looked up at him again, meeting his gaze.

"You really are always right." Aang murmured, smiling that smile that Katara found so charming. Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned his forehead against hers before pulling her close for a long, slow kiss. Were she not eight months pregnant, Katara was sure the moment would have gone further, but it was interrupted by what felt like a sharp kick to her ribs from within. She gasped against Aang's lips and he pulled away, by now familiar with the sound.

"You okay?" He asked softly, placing a hand on her lower back. She nodded.

"I'm fine. I just think this little guy's gonna want out soon." She smiled. Aang bent to place a kiss on his wife's belly.

"I can't wait." Katara laughed.

"You're telling me. I don't think any woman has ever had to deal with such energetic kids before they were even born." Aang placed an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, laying down on the soft mattress, his wife following suite. She simply smiled.

"Don't worry about it. As long as you're around to help, everything will be fine." Aang wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back to his chest and burying his head in her hair.

"You can count on that."


	60. Heat

**A/N: This one feels a little scattered to me and it's definitely a high "T" rating, so I hope you like it :). That's about all I can say this time around...except thank you all again for your lovely reviews! **

**SummerSweetheart: Lol, well, if you do think of any requests feel free to send them my way!**

* * *

It_ was a hot day in the Fire Nation, but at least it was a quiet one, Katara thought, a tingle running up her spine when she heard a certain someone she knew had to be Aang coming to sit beside her. _

"_Hey." He grinned at her and she turned to look at him, noticing only then what he held in his hand. It looked like snow in a little paper cup of sorts, only, the snow was orange._

"_What is that?" She asked quizzically. Aang's grin only widened._

"_It's shaved ice." He explained. "You've never seen any before?" She shook her head. _

"_If that's ice, why is it orange?" Aang laughed. _

"_It's flavored. This is mango, since I remembered you didn't like papaya. Here, try some." He offered, bringing the treat to her lips. She blushed, but did her best to act as though this was nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, they were completely alone, Sokka and Toph having wandered off elsewhere for the time being, Aang didn't have a shirt on and it was already quite warm but….she stopped herself, not wanting Aang to see the color rising to her cheeks. Tentatively, she took a lick, her eyes instantly widening. It was delicious. "Do you like it?" He asked, and Katara could've sworn he was blushing as well, though it could have just been the heat. His lean, toned chest was wet with perspiration…She found herself only able to nod enthusiastically. He smiled. "You can have all of it if you want." He offered as she gave another lick. Normally she would have refused, told him that he shouldn't have, but she couldn't stop. It was so hot, and the ice was so refreshing and Aang was right there and she couldn't help it…_

_Suddenly, her tongue hit something much warmer than the ice. Something that moved after she licked it. She heard Aang's breath catch in his throat and blushing furiously, lifted her eyes to his. _

"_Oh…um…I'm sorry. It was…I was…um…" Her heart was racing and it was suddenly even hotter than before. Had she actually just licked Aang? His hand was shaking and she suddenly felt tremendously guilty for putting him in this position. No doubt this had been completely innocent on his part and now-_

"_It's fine." He said hurriedly, "really" he assured upon seeing her expression. "It's not a big deal. You don't…have to stop or anything." What was that breathless tone of voice he was using? She could still feel her heart pounding against her ribcage, but she found herself dipping her head once more to finish what she'd started. In any ordinary situation, she would have stopped right there, but she felt for some reason, compelled to continue. Today wasn't a day for running away. She stuck her tongue out once more to get at what was left of the shaved ice, but the paper was getting wet and soggy and it was hard to reach what was at the bottom. Then, she had an idea. A very forward, un-Katara idea that she would have squashed in an instant if it were any other day. But today, she told herself again, was different. _

"_You can have the rest." She picked the last bit of ice out of the bottom even as it began to melt between her fingers and offered it to Aang. He looked at her wide eyed at first, clearly astonished at what she was suggesting, before apparently deciding to take the plunge and leaning forward, closing his lips around it, just brushing the tips of Katara's fingers. There was no mistaking his blush now and he caught her gaze ever so shyly. _

"_You have some on your…" He stuttered, gesturing to her cheek, and she blushed even more deeply than before if possible, moving to wipe the melted juice off of her face, but somehow, Aang beat her to it. Gently, he took hold of her wrist to lower her arm before leaning in close, so close that she could almost taste the mango on his lips, and kissed her cheek, just at the corner of her lips and to her astonishment, stuck his tongue out for the briefest of moments, effectively getting rid of the juice. His eyes were wide and alive with something unfamiliar when he pulled back and Katara couldn't help but gulp at the intensity in his gaze. _

"_That was good." She said breathlessly and for a moment they just stared at each other, before they heard a familiar voice from behind them._

"_Aang! You can't just sit around with your shirt off like this! Someone might see you!" Sokka called. Katara's heart sank and immediately, all the self-consciousness seemed to return, Aang snapping out of his trance to respond to the warrior's call._

* * *

Katara snapped back to the present moment, Aang sitting beside her on the balcony of his room in Zuko's palace, both of them sweating in the summer heat as he held the last shaved ice in his fingers, the remainder that had been in the bottom of the cup that she couldn't reach with her tongue. She knew, they both did, that he could have easily just tilted the cup to give her easier access, _but really_, she thought to herself, _what fun is that?_ She licked at the ice, her heart racing, Aang waiting with bated breath. There had been no mention of their first experience with this particular treat, but the same, still atmosphere was lingered between them, only this one was charged with some…some other feeling between them that Katara couldn't quite put her finger on. She was supposed to be comfortable with him now that they were together, but instead she felt that same self-consciousness she had nearly two months ago. What would Aang think of her if…? What if she…? Did he even remember? Tentatively, quickly, so that it could have been an accident, she allowed her tongue to touch Aang's fingertips on the next lick. Part of her was afraid to meet his eyes, but she couldn't help it when he gasped. Their gaze connected and Aang blushed, though Katara was sure her face was redder than the furnishings of the palace. He exhaled shakily.

"It's okay." He assured quietly, almost as though he was afraid he would drive her away if he spoke at a normal volume. Her face still burning, Katara nodded and continued eating the treat, occasionally brushing his fingers with her tongue until only the juice was left. She hesitated. She could stop here, she knew and return to the familiar zone of comfort between them, to where she knew was safe. Or she could…allowing her eyes to flutter softly closed, she licked the remaining juice from Aang's fingertips, hearing him inhale shakily. Only this time, there was no way any of them could claim it was unintentional, just an innocent mistake. No, this was deliberate. Some of the ice-cold liquid trickled down the skin of her neck and when she finished, opening her eyes again, Aang was sitting as still as a statue, his eyes holding that same glazed look she'd seen only a few times before (though never with such intensity) and hadn't recognized until now, for she was sure she was looking at him the same way.

"That was good." She murmured, her lips turning upwards in the smallest of smiles. Aang gazed at her shyly for a moment, the flush not gone from his cheeks before taking her hand in his own and leaning in close, bending his head and touching his lips to her throat.

"Aang-" She didn't finish for she couldn't speak when she felt his tongue against her neck where the trickle of juice had escaped her lips. An unfamiliar, but entirely wonderful feeling washed through her whole body at the sensation and she gripped his hand tighter, her breath coming in soft gasps as Aang kissed and licked ever so gently at her throat until all of the juice was gone. When he pulled away, he was breathing heavily, gazing at her with pure adoration and a hint of timidness, unsure of whether he'd done the right thing but desperately hoping for approval. It was the first time he'd tried anything like that.

"I love you, Katara." He said softly, hopefully. Katara leaned in closer still and kissed him, simply pressing her lips to his at first, but then deepening the kiss, coaxing his mouth open as she hadn't done since the very first time she'd kissed him deliberately, tasting the mango ice on his tongue. Aang made a noise of surprise in the back of his throat but reciprocated nonetheless, wrapping her in his arms, his fingers tracing the bare skin of her lower back. It was entirely too hot to be this close to another person, but somehow, neither of them cared. Katara's hands roamed the length of Aang's well-muscled back, enjoying the feeling of his moist skin under her touch. They parted for air only for a second before Aang moved to kiss her cheek sweetly, then working his way along her jaw and just under her ear, reaching her neck again. She couldn't help but moan softly in response, pressing herself closer to him, gasping out his name. She wouldn't deny that she'd dreamt of moments like these with him before, but somehow this still felt unreal. Aang, sweet, timid Aang, had never done anything like this before. If they tried something new, it was usually her who initiated it. Not that Katara minded. No, there was something undeniably appealing, intoxicating about this forward, bold, Aang, something that made her shiver even in the mid-summer heat. He paused and for just a second, she managed to gather the clarity of mind to pull away.

"We should go inside." She said breathlessly. Aang nodded and before she had time to react, he had scooped her into his arms bridal style to carry her back inside to his room, laying her gently on the bed, his eyes glazed as he looked at her, dipping his head to kiss her again. She, however, beat him to it, kissing first his lips, then his jaw and then making her way down his neck to his collarbone and upper chest, sucking every so often on a sensitive patch of skin, enjoying the sounds, the soft moans emitting from Aang's throat. His hands tangled themselves in her hair before he kissed her insistently again, the heat between them still intensifying. Katara found herself getting entirely lost in the moment, in these new feelings she had never been exposed to before. Certainly, she and Aang kissed often enough, but not like this, never like this. And now they were entirely alone, so deliciously undisturbed that it felt nearly impossible to stop. She wrapped her legs around his waist in an attempt to pull him closer and heard him gasp even as he responded by deepening the kiss. Her fingers traced the handsome tattoo along his spine, and he shivered before moving his lips to the junction of her jawline and upper neck, coaxing an absolutely intoxicating whimper from her throat. Aang felt a surge of heat, his mind whirling, dizzy with need. This was absolutely addicting, her searing kisses made him feel so much, knowing she was loving him and only him…

"Katara…" his voice shook as he ran his fingers through her hair as though he could scarcely believe she was there. She caught his gaze shyly, watching as a bead of perspiration ran down his chest. He moved to kiss her again and she craned her neck to meet his lips…a bit too eagerly. Rather than feeling Aang's soft lips on hers, Katara heard a dull "_smack_!" and felt her skull knock against his, causing him to retract suddenly, giving a hiss of pain as he rubbed his forehead. Katara's mouth fell open, cheeks burning with embarrassment. She barely felt the pain in her head, merely wishing she could somehow just disappear into thin air as the wonderful spell that had shrouded them just seconds ago shattered.

"Oh Aang, I'm so sorry…are you okay?" She sat up, completely mortified, unable to meet his eyes. She didn't think she'd ever felt more humiliated in her life. Surely Aang would think she had no idea what she was doing now…how could any boy want to kiss someone who made what was supposed to be an enjoyable, romantic experience painful?

"I'm fine." He answered. His own face was red, and for a moment they sat in a stiflingly awkward silence before a small smile began to tug at the corner of Aang's lips. Katara raised an eyebrow and before she could ask why he was smiling, he had burst into a fit of laughter. If anything, this made Katara even more confused. What could possibly be funny about the most embarrassing moment of her life? Was Aang laughing at her? Noticing the slightly hurt look on her face, Aang took several deep breaths in an attempt to speak so he could reassure her.

"I'm not laughing at you, Katara. It's just…it's just…" he couldn't explain however, for he was overcome with laughter again and Katara watched him for a moment before a smile found its way to her own lips and soon enough, she was laughing along with him. Aang's obvious amusement was infectious, and before long they had both collapsed onto the bed, peals of laughter shaking their frames. After a minute they quieted and looked at each other, only to dissolve into giggles again, this fit lasting still longer than the first before after what could have been hours, they managed to catch their breaths. Aang however, was still grinning from ear to ear when he caught Katara's eye again, gazing at her affectionately.

"I guess…" he murmured, still trying to catch his breath, "we still have a lot to learn." Katara giggled and nodded.

"Sorry." She said again. "It was my fault. I just got ahead of myself, you know? You're so hard to resist." She added playfully. Aang only beamed and laced his fingers with hers, and she couldn't help but notice that he was blushing again.

"It's okay. We um…I guess we have…time to learn, you know?" He seemed to become self-conscious again and Katara squeezed his hand.

"Plenty of time. We don't have to rush anything, no pressure." At this, Aang seemed to relax and he sighed happily, rolling over to lie on his back.

"That sounds great." He murmured contentedly. "I…liked that." He said after a moment, turning towards her. Katara blushed.

"I did too. It felt nice." She admitted, beginning to feel a little bolder. Aang smiled bashfully.

"In that case, would you um…like to come back here tomorrow?" Katara grinned.

"I'd love to. I need all the practice I can get after all."


	61. Letters

**A/N: I hope everyone had a lovely Easter! I certainly did. My little brother is about as obsessed with the Hunger Games as I am with Avatar, so we went to see the movie for my first time and his second and I haven't seen him this happy or enthusiastic about anything in years, so I'm actually in a very good mood simply by osmosis lol. I'm almost done with the next chapter for Awake and am poised to begin the next one for this, so...yeah :). Anyways, about this story: The first bit takes place I guess between The Fortune Teller and The S1 finale, and the second part about a year after that. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey." Katara sank down beside him and it was all he could do to keep from jumping. He could feel a blush rising up the back of his neck to color his cheeks and he silently cursed his pale skin.

"Hey Katara." He answered.

"I just…noticed you've been really quiet. Is everything okay?" She asked gently. Aang sighed, chewing his lip nervously. He couldn't lie to her, but he couldn't tell her what was really on his mind, either. Surely, she'd laugh at him. He knew of course, that Katara would never laugh at him, she wasn't that kind of person. But still.

"Have you ever wanted to tell someone something that you can't say aloud?" He asked at last, hoping the question didn't reveal too much. Katara looked mildly surprised, but nodded.

"Yeah, of course." She was quiet for a minute. "…You can tell me though, if you want. Whatever it is. I promise I won't tell anyone else if you don't want me to." At the words, Aang felt a pull in his heart. He wanted so desperately to respond to her prompting right then and just tell her everything. How he couldn't stop thinking about her, how he dreamed of her every night, but he couldn't. No, right now, that was far too risky.

"I know you wouldn't." He answered with a melancholy smile. "But it's…I can't. Not right now. I mean, I'll probably tell you someday…it's just…" he sighed. "I can't stop thinking about it and I don't know what to do." Katara looked slightly disappointed, and Aang felt the pulling in his chest intensify before she spoke again.

"I understand." She nodded. "It might help if you wrote it down." She suggested. "I've found it helps to write letters to the person, you don't have to actually give them the letters of course, that's the thing. It's like you're talking to them, but you don't have to worry about them actually seeing it." Aang instantly brightened.

"That's a great idea!" he exclaimed with more enthusiasm than Katara had expected. She smiled, happy to have been of help, if not still a bit concerned that Aang didn't want to tell her what was on his mind.

In his tent, Aang flopped onto his stomach and began to write.

_"Dear Katara…" _He paused. Doing this would mean letting his feelings out for the first time since his initial miserable attempt in Aunt Wu's village. And what if Katara, or worse, Sokka, found it? But if he kept thinking about her it would surely drive him crazy.

_"I know you probably don't feel the same way, but I like you, a lot." Oddly enough, that felt good, and Aang continued rather eagerly. "Actually, I think I might love you. I know that sounds crazy coming from a silly twelve year old, but it's true, Katara. I've never felt this way before and I don't know what to do. I wish I could ask you for help, but what if that ruined everything? I can't tell you about this because I don't know how you feel, and I can't risk losing you. It's better to have you as a friend than to not have you at all. But maybe someday, after all this is over, I'll tell you. I know I will someday, and it would mean the world to me if you felt the same,_

_Love, Aang."_

Despite the slight apprehension that came with the knowledge that it was possible for someone to discover his letters, Aang found that he couldn't stop after that first one. Katara was right, it helped more than he could've imagined and he'd dream of someday showing her the letters…

_"Dear Katara,_

_I can't stop thinking about you. Sometimes it hurts my chest to just look at you and I feel like I'm melting and flying all at once and I don't know how to fix it. Ever since we kissed in the cave I haven't been able to sleep as well. I want to kiss you again. I want to go to you right now and tell you that I love you and hold your hand. And you'd tell me you felt the same way and we'd go somewhere quiet and just kiss for the rest of the night. I wouldn't force you, of course. I'd be gentle, and you'd touch my face and say my name and I'd run my fingers through your hair and we'd just lie together, and I'd hold you and you'd rest your head on my chest and tell me we'd be together forever. It's pathetic, but I dream about you every night, Katara, and you'd probably never look at me again if you knew what happened in some of them, but I'll try to explain it. We were together at the Southern Air Temple, alone and I showed you my old room and you hugged me and we finally kissed and you told me you loved me and that you wanted to marry me and it was the best feeling you could imagine. And then sometimes I dream that we are married and we make love and you tell me you love me and…oh, it's hopeless, Katara. Please don't hate me for this._

_ Love, Aang."_

"_Dear Katara,_

_I don't say thank you enough, do I? I don't know what I'd do without you. Heck, I wouldn't even be here without you in the first place. I've never felt so lost without Appa and I don't know what to do and I'm scared, Katara. What if we lose the war? I can't stand the thought of letting you down. Please don't leave me. I know that sounds pathetic, but I really can't live without you. I know that's selfish, but you're the reason I fight. I have to set all this right for you. If I could just make you happy, fix the world for you, everything would be okay. Someday I'll show you these letters and it probably won't mean much to you, but in my dreams, you blush and you tell me you think it's sweet and you kiss me on the cheek. The war is over in the dreams, I save the world for you and you hug me and tell me you knew I could do it all along and you're proud of me. And then I feel so happy I could die. Sometimes I think I'm going crazy. But this isn't all about me. It's about you. I should tell you how wonderful you are, so I will: You're wonderful, Katara. You're the most beautiful, kind, caring, exciting person I've ever met. I'm not a violent person, you know that, but I almost wanted to hurt Jet for hurting you. You deserve to be treated like a princess, no, a goddess. You deserve so much more than I could ever give you. I would say your eyes are like sapphires, but they're brighter and more beautiful. I know you get embarrassed about your figure sometimes when Sokka teases you, but it's perfect and I'd do anything to be able to hold you for even just a minute. You have the purest, most beautiful soul in the whole world. Oh Katara, I'm so in love with you. You don't have to do anything for me, really. Just don't ever change for anyone. _

_ Love, Aang."_

"_Dear Katara,_

_I know I'm young, but I don't think I'll ever love anyone else like this. I want to marry you. I want to have a family with you. In my dreams, we have kids. I'd never ask you to do that for me, though. I know it's a lot of work and pain, and I'd never make you hurt if you didn't want to. I can't stand the thought of hurting you and I hope I never do. You're too important to me._

_ Love, Aang."_

* * *

"Hey Katara." Katara looked up from her perch at the windowsill, a smile brightening her features when she saw Aang before her.

"Hey." She said, moving over to make room for him and leaning in to kiss his cheek in greeting. "What's up?" She inquired. He grinned shyly at her.

"Remember a year ago when you told me it would help if I wrote down the things I couldn't say aloud in a letter?" He asked, eyes shifting sideways as he rubbed the back of his neck. Katara's eyes widened.

"Wow…" She said. "I guess that was almost a year ago, huh?" Aang nodded.

"I know, it's hard to believe. But um…I told you I'd tell you what was on my mind that day someday. And since it's been about a year since we met, I thought now might be a good time, maybe, because um…we're together and I think you should know…" He stammered, handing Katara a pile of folded letters that he'd kept to himself all this time. Katara took them and began leafing through them.

"Aang…" she began. "There are so many!" She laughed. "How'd you ever find time to write all this?" Aang grinned bashfully.

"I was desperate." He answered. "I want you to read them, though. I know a lot of them will probably seem really silly and embarrassing but-" He trailed off, watching Katara flip through the stack, her eyes widening.

"These are all to me…" She breathed. Aang nodded, swallowing.

"I told you it was silly, I just…"

"No Aang, of course it's not." She put a hand on his knee and gave him a soft smile in reassurance. She knew it must have taken a lot of courage for him to present her with these. He was baring his heart to her, showing her his most private thoughts, and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like he had to be embarrassed about them. She got up and opened one of her drawers, rifling through it for a moment before pulling out a similar stack.

"The reason I suggested that to you was because I did it a lot myself. I want you to see mine, too." She said softly, handing the paper to Aang, whose eyes widened upon seeing his name at the top of the page.

"You…you wrote to me?" He asked disbelievingly. Katara laughed.

"Of course I did! You know I love you. I'm not just with you because it's convenient, silly." Aang smiled sheepishly.

"I guess you're not." He agreed, watching as Katara lowered her eyes to his first ever letter to her. Wordlessly, they began reading, Aang's breath catching in his throat.

_Dear Aang,_

_Are you okay? You've seemed sort of distant these past few days and I worry about you. I know you said you'd tell me someday, but I care about you and I can't help but worry. You have no idea how hard it is for me to not press, but I know that would make it worse and I don't want you to get angry with me or anything. I hope you know that what that old fisherman said about you isn't true. You're so brave and I admire you for surviving everything you've been through. I know I tell you this all the time, but I have faith in you. I just hope you have faith in yourself._

_ Katara._

_Dear Aang,_

_We kissed. You knew that…but I just…oh Aang, you probably did think it was a dumb idea. I hope you can forgive me for being so forward with you. I shouldn't be. Goodnight, Aang._

…_I can't sleep, Aang, and I suppose I wasn't being completely honest with you either. I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry that we kissed. It was…nice. This is so confusing. Lately everything's been different. I don't know if we can be just friends, to be honest. I could have corrected your Octopus stance without even touching you, you know, but I couldn't help it. Has anyone ever told you how handsome your tattoos are? They probably have. You could have a million girls if you wanted, Aang. But you don't seem to have any idea, which is part of what makes you so charming…that probably sounds strange to you too, but it's true. You're so much more charming than you think. I love the way you laugh. I love your smile. I love how you're so you without even trying. I've never trusted anyone like I trust you. I know you'd never let me down and I hope I can live up to the same standard for you._

_ Katara. _

_Dear Aang,_

_Oh please, please wake up. This is the scariest thing that's ever happened to me aside from Mom dying and I can't stand to see you go the same way. Please. I love you, I know I should've told you before but it's all so scary. It's true though. Remember the list of all the things I loved about you? Well, there's more. I love everything about you and you can't just leave. I won't let you. I notice you, Aang, I do, I always have because you're special. Every time I hear you moan I want to cry. I can't stand to see you hurting and I haven't been sleeping because all I want to do is hold your hand and make sure you're okay. I'd do anything to bring you back, I mean that. I know when you wake up (you will wake up) you'll blame yourself and you won't listen when I tell you it wasn't your fault. But it wasn't. You're so brave, you did your best and I just want you to focus on getting better so things can go back to normal and I can watch you practice bending and hug you and tell you that I love you so you don't ever leave again. Would it bother you if I told you that I almost never leave your side and I kiss you on the forehead every night before Dad or Sokka forces me to go to bed? Has anyone ever told you that your skin is incredibly soft for someone so strong? Please be okay, Aang, for me. I need you._

_Love, Katara._

_Dear Aang,_

_You might want to skip this one. But I have to tell you about my dream. I keep having it, or something similar, anyways and it's about you. In my dream, we're sitting together at the water and we're the only two people in the world. You smile at me (I love your smile, I know I've already told you that, but repetition never hurts, right?), and I tell you that you're my hero (because you are, in case you didn't know), and then we whisper that we love each other. We don't have to be so quiet because there's no one else around, but we are and it makes me shiver. And then you cup my face and kiss me and we kiss for hours and hours and we don't have to worry about anything. But then sometimes everything goes wrong and we get ambushed by these faceless enemies, only, no one can bend and you tell me to run while you hold them off. I say no, but you force me, and so I run into the forest behind the water. I'm barefoot, and sometimes I step on sharp things that make my feet bleed. When I can't run anymore, I fall down and realize that you're gone and I have no idea where I am. It's the scariest feeling and then I get really cold and I wake up. I don't know what it means. It doesn't always end badly, though. Sometimes we keep kissing and then we're naked next to each other and well…you know. It's a nice dream, but I never know which one it'll be so sometimes I'm scared to go to sleep._

…_By the way Aang, I think you're very handsome. But I can't be the first person to have told you that._

_ Love, Katara._

They were both completely silent as they read, but Aang found his mouth running dry nonetheless, feeling as though he were being engulfed in something warm and soft. Perhaps too warm. It took them just over an hour to finish all of the letters, as each of them had nearly fifty. Aang finished first, and watched Katara apprehensively, trying to stop his hands from shaking when she at last lifted her eyes to his. When they at last looked at each other, they shared shy smiles. Then, leaning forward on her hands, Katara pressed her lips to Aang's in a slow, tender kiss. He reciprocated eagerly, pulling her into his arms the way he'd always dreamed of doing and holding her close. When they parted, they were both panting hard, but beaming nonetheless.

"See?" Katara managed to say. "Not embarrassing. Oh Aang…you're so sweet. Those are the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. You never had to worry about me thinking you were crazy." Aang grinned.

"It was scary." He admitted. "I mean, I had no idea if you'd like me back and it just seemed safer to assume you didn't so I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't work out. But...I probably would've been either way, now that I think about it." He paused. "You really think I could have a million girls though?" Katara elbowed him playfully, rolling her eyes.

"I was desperate too, okay? But yeah, I'm pretty sure you could." Aang scooted closer to her so that he could put an arm around her.

"I doubt it. But even if I could, the only one I'd ever want is you." Katara smiled.

"Good. Because I'm not letting you go anywhere." Aang laughed and kissed her cheek, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't want anyone else holding me captive."


	62. Returning a Favor

**A/N: New chapter yayy. I'm not sure if there will be one next week, because I think I'll be updating Awake instead. This has been an awful week for me too, so I would appreciate some reviews to cheer me up :). I suppose that's all I can say for now! Love you allll.**

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"Do you want to practice waterbending with me?" For the fourth day in a row, Aang came to her with a hopeful, enthusiastic smile and the same question. Something had gotten in the way the past three times he'd asked. Katara had been "busy" writing letters or fixing tiny tears in her clothing or cleaning or…something. Aang hoped today would be different. It had been ages since he'd had time alone with Katara and he had in all honesty been getting slightly out of practice with his water bending ever since the end of the war. He was fourteen now, Katara sixteen and now of marrying age, though she assured him she was waiting till she was at least eighteen so that she could marry him when he turned sixteen.

Katara jumped at the question as though startled by Aang's presence. For a minute, she looked alarmed, as though searching for an answer made her feel frantic. Aang raised an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" He asked. She nodded hurriedly, nervously brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"I'm great!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, waterbending…we should…" She trailed off and pushed herself out of the chair she'd been sitting in to join Aang. He however, looked unconvinced.

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "You seem a little…I dunno…stressed?" He avoided using the first description that came to mind "on edge" as he remembered with a wince the last time someone had accused her using those words. She shook her head emphatically. A look of realization spread across Aang's face.

"Oh…" he said. "Katara if you're, you know, on your time of the month or something, I understand." He blushed, and it spread to her as well. He wasn't an expert on girl's bodies, but after being with Katara almost constantly for two years, he'd certainly learned his share.

"No!" she exclaimed hastily. "Really Aang, I'm fine, let's go!" She smiled, interlacing their fingers and tugging gently at his hand to pull him outside.

They walked to the river together in an oddly unfamiliar silence, Aang stripping down and rolling up his pants before wading into the river. Its current was gentle but the water wasn't too shallow either, perfect for waterbending and secluded enough so that the two benders could always count on practicing here undisturbed.

Katara took longer to undress, longer than usual, Aang noticed, not that he was staring or anything. But he couldn't help but notice the way she so gingerly stepped out of her dress, wincing slightly as she lifted her arms over her head.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Aang asked suspiciously. Katara flushed but nodded, stepping into the river with him at last.

"I'm fine." She insisted again. "Really Aang, stop worrying so much." At this, Aang couldn't help but laugh.

"You're telling me not to worry?" It was a complete reversal of their usual roles, and he couldn't help but find it rather humorous. She giggled slightly.

"I am. So you better listen to me." She teased. Aang grinned.

"Okay, if you say so." He conceded at last, raising a small stream of water from the river and passing it to her. She sent it back—though Aang noticed she seemed rather stiff—and after a few turns, they began to spar casually, Aang watching closely. Her reactions were slower and more rigid than usual, and she seemed to avoid using her left arm. Something was wrong, but he knew if he simply stopped and told her that he didn't want to hurt her, she would only get more defensive. So instead he sent a tendril of water to wrap around her left ankle (gently, though) and she instinctively reached with her left arm to bend it away. She hissed in pain at the motion though, instantly straightening and biting her lip. Aang quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You're not okay." He said simply, dropping his stance and coming to stand before her. "I knew it. You're hurt. What's wrong?" Katara looked away for a moment as though trying to decide whether or not to be honest. She didn't want to worry Aang but…she didn't want to keep lying to him either. So, bowing her head, she turned around, hearing Aang gasp. She winced. It had been several days since she'd actually seen the wound she knew was there, and didn't know exactly how bad it was.

"Katara…" Aang breathed. Her white underwrap was stained red and brown with dried and fresh blood on the back, just by her shoulder blade. "What happened? Why'd you hide this?" Katara turned back around with a shuddering sigh.

"Toph, Zuko and I were all sparing the other day and it just sort of…happened. I didn't want to worry anyone." She admitted.

"Why didn't you heal it?" Aang asked.

"I can't reach it." Katara answered with a frown. "Is it really bad?" Putting a hand gently on her shoulder, Aang turned her around again, sucking in a breath.

"I mean…I can't see the actual wound, but it doesn't look good." He grimaced, sliding his hand down her back. Katara blushed. She couldn't help but be embarrassed. She couldn't even remember the last time Aang had been badly hurt in a bending battle, and he was the avatar. And here she'd gotten burned in a mere sparring match. "May I?" Aang's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she felt his hand near the wound.

"Yeah." She consented, biting her lip to hold in her gasp of pain when he pressed his fingertips ever so carefully against her back. The pain spread through the entire wound, the dirty cloth of her underwrap pressing against the charred skin. Aang frowned.

"How long?" he asked. Katara sighed.

"Almost a week." She admitted. Aang let go of her and she turned to face him once more.

"A whole week? Katara, why didn't you tell me? You taught me to heal a little, remember?" Katara blushed again, lowering her gaze.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure how comfortable you were with it…" Aang took her hand and pulled her to sit on the riverbank with him.

"Katara, I'd do anything for you. Heck, you could ask me to jump off a cliff and I'd do it, you know that. Besides, why wouldn't I be comfortable? I had the best teacher after all." He smiled slightly and Katara felt a bit better. Then though, a look of realization crossed his face. "Do you…do you not trust me?" He seemed immensely saddened at the idea and his shoulders slumped, his gray eyes falling away from hers. Katara hastened to reassure him.

"No! No Aang, of course not…I trust you more than anyone it's just…" She sighed and trailed off, struggling with the words and half hoping Aang would figure it out before she had to explain it. He didn't though, only gave her that innocent, questioning look that she loved so well to show he was listening.

"It's embarrassing." She groaned. Aang's brows knitted together in confusion.

"And me waking up weeks after Azula shot me to find I was wearing different clothes wasn't?" He questioned. Katara blushed.

"Oh…um…" She resigned herself at last. "Aang, for you to heal it, this…all has to come off." She gestured to her under wrappings and Aang's eyes widened, his own face coloring.

"O-oh…" He said in realization. He knew, they both did, that most couples would have no qualms with this whatsoever. But he and Katara were different, special, he told himself shamelessly. He _was_ only fourteen now after all and they'd never really pushed their relationship too far beyond kissing. Deep, long hours of kissing sometimes, yes, and sometimes on warm days like this there wasn't a great deal of clothing involved, but they'd never seen each other naked. Not that Aang had any problem with it necessarily, he knew that regardless they'd wait until they were married to actually take the final step in their intimacy. They just…hadn't tried this yet. "Don't worry about that." He found himself saying. If this was about helping Katara, he would gladly put any embarrassed feelings aside. "I mean," he continued, "if you're not comfortable with it, I'd understand. But in that case, you should definitely go see a healer. I don't think you want a scar to match mine." He joked, trying to ease the awkwardness he knew she was feeling and smiling caringly at her. For the first time that day, she laughed lightly.

"I guess not…" She admitted. "But, I _would_ rather you do it than a stranger, if that's okay." She confessed timidly. Aang couldn't help the look of mild surprise that crossed his face, but he nodded nonetheless and before she could say another word, he had raised a small earth tent from the shore. It wasn't often that anyone came through this area, but it had happened before and they were better safe than sorry. He didn't even want to begin to think about what kind of rumors would spread if someone did catch them in a position that could so easily be misinterpreted. Katara gave him a soft smile.

"Thanks." Aang nodded, grinning at her in return.

"No problem." They entered the tent together and knelt down in the sand, Aang behind Katara. "Do you umm…" he began, "need help with this?" He didn't know how easy it was for Katara to undo her bindings painlessly, and from the looks of up she'd kept them on since she was first burned to serve as a tourniquet. She nodded wordlessly.

"They start right here." She gestured to her right shoulder and Aang saw where it was tucked under the rest of the fabric hesitating before giving it a gentle tug, freeing it.

"I won't look." He assured when he noticed her jump slightly. "I promise." In that moment, Katara felt a surge of gratefulness for the young man behind her. Where so many others would have taken advantage of her position, Aang was doing everything he could to make her feel comfortable. He cared for her. She smiled, feeling the tension in her body ease.

"Thanks." Aang nodded and began to unwind her bindings (just the thought made her blush). She took a deep breath, though she couldn't entirely rid herself of the heat pooling in her stomach as Aang worked. Privately, she'd imagined this many times just well…maybe not exactly like this, but it was close enough. Aang, the most wonderful, handsome man in the world was undressing her and suddenly, they were years older, married, only, she was facing Aang and he was telling her she was beautiful and-

"Ah-!" She'd gotten so wrapped up in her fantasy that she found herself entirely unprepared for the sharp searing stinging pain when Aang reached the last layer that covered her wound.

"Sorry." He apologized, gently stroking her uninjured mid and lower back in an attempt to comfort her. (She shivered).

"It's sticking. This might hurt a little." He sounded so remorseful for hurting her that she had half a mind to turn around and hug him, but remembering her current state of undress, she stopped herself.

"It's okay." She assured instead. "I trust you." She could practically sense him smiling.

"I'll go slow." He told her and she nodded, folding her hands in her lap and biting her lip as Aang ever so carefully began to peel the last strip of fabric away from her wound. He was right, it did hurt, but she was determined not to cry out, knowing how sensitive Aang was to her pain. Her shoulders slumped in relief when Aang finished and felt the last of the wrappings fall away onto her lap. She gulped. What could Aang see? He said he wouldn't look, but what if he couldn't help but notice?

"Wow Katara…" he breathed and she realized that she'd once again almost completely forgotten about the burn, what Aang was actually looking at.

"How bad is it?" She asked. She could practically feel him wince.

"Well…" he began. "Let's just say if Zuko weren't my friend…he wouldn't be my friend." At this, Katara couldn't help but laugh.

"It was an accident, Aang." She reminded him. "Besides, it's not like I've never accidently injured him before. It happens."

"I know. " Aang agreed. "I was kidding. I just hope this doesn't leave a scar." He said, bending water from the river over his hands. He almost instantly regretted the words, however, for he noticed Katara's spine go rigid.

"…You really think it might, Aang?" She asked quietly as he began to clean the wound.

"Katara, I…just forget I said that." He murmured, wanting to kick himself for getting her worried, but it was too late.

"Aang, I mean it." She said firmly. He sighed.

"It's hard to say. But if it does, it shouldn't be bad. I mean, it looks bad now, but I don't think it's very deep and it's certainly nothing like getting struck by lightning. I'm sure you'll be fine." He soothed, reaching around her neck to pull her hair over one shoulder so that it didn't get in the way. "Besides," he continued, "I'd still think you were beautiful either way, so you shouldn't worry about it." Katara smiled, though she knew he couldn't see it.

"Really?" She asked. Aang laughed.

"It'd be kind of hypocritical of me if I didn't. But even if that weren't the case, of course. I can't remember ever seeing you and thinking otherwise. Now, hold still." Katara obeyed, the warmth building in her stomach again. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief as she felt Aang press the cool water against her burning shoulder, his hands smooth and gentle as he healed her as she had done for him so many times.

"All better." He announced when he finished, and she could hear the smile in his voice before he stood, careful not to look at her.

"I'll let you get dressed. Then we can waterbend for real." He was about to leave, but Katara stopped him.

"Aang…" She said his name and he paused.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Aang grinned.

"That's what I'm here for."


	63. Pressure

**A/N: After another dormant period, I am back :). School's out and I can write again. Done with freshman year of college *phew*. Been enjoying Korra with my little brother, but still mainly writing kataang. As Private LL Church requested, I named all the past chapters so now this whole thing should be easier to navigate through =]. I've seen this topic written about before, and in one case, Aang went along with the "plan" but I think this is how it would really go down if something of this nature did happen. Just a thought. Enjoy! **

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A knock sounded at the door, prompting Aang to rouse from his reverie. He stifled a groan and got up to answer it. He had a hunch as to who the visitors were, and it was all he could do not to sigh when he found he was right. Several of the Earth King's advisors, some of which Aang recognized, stood in his doorway. They bowed politely and he returned the gesture.

"May we come in, Avatar Aang?" One of them, Yu-Shin, Aang recalled his name to be, asked. Aang bowed his head.

"Certainly."

"We have...some important matters to discuss to discuss with you." Yu-Shin said. Aang did his best to hide the weary look that crossed his face.

"Yes, councilman?" He asked, gesturing for them to sit around a table in the front room of his apartment. Since the end of the war, he had been given several places to stay, including this apartment in Gaoling, Toph's home town. Yu-shin sighed and sat.

"It's...difficult to tell you this, you must understand. But we implore you to listen. It is a matter of utmost importance." Hajimo, the other councilman said. Aang nodded.

"What is it, councilman?" He questioned. Yu Shin shifted uncomfortably, and Aang raised an eyebrow. He rarely saw these men waver in their formal manner and confidence.

"You see, it is about the future of your people, of the avatar cycle." He began. Aang frowned, not liking the sound of this.

"Yes?" He prompted.

"There's no easy way to say this, Avatar Aang. But your wife has failed to produce an airbender thus far. We understand that you care for her, that you are bound together by marriage, but..." he paused, struggling with his words. "We predict that you would have more success with a non-bender." The color drained from Aang's face.

"You're asking me to leave my wife for another woman while she's pregnant." His voice was low, his eyes flashing dangerously, a stark contrast to his normally mild-mannered nature. Yu-Shin winced.

"Not necessarily, you can remain with your wife, but there are more women who-" He didn't get to finish.

"Are you out of your mind?" Aang's voice rose, though he tried to stay relatively quiet as he didn't want to wake Katara who was asleep in their bedroom. He was thankful that Kya and Bumi were with Toph and her daughter, Lin for the day.

"Katara is my world. I can't let her down like that. What kind of an example is that for an avatar to set? For me to set for my children as a father? I won't. That's all there is to it." He said firmly, angrily. Hajimo sighed.

"We feared you would react this way. But Avatar Aang, you don't seem to understand. This is about the future of the air nomads. The avatar cannot be born into the air nomads again if you do not comply with us. You cannot refuse. Your wife is unable to fulfill her role in bringing them back and she will likely never succeed in it. She is of no use to us, or you. We've already gathered a group of eligible young women who-" He was interrupted again, this time by the sound of Aang's fist slamming on the table, the blue tattoo on the back of his hand beginning to glow slightly.

"No. This isn't about Katara or my children being failures. My wife has always supported me and I will do the same for her. I'm not going to abandon her for anyone, so you can tell those other young women to go back to where they came from. They deserve better than this as well. Now, that's all I will here of this. I ask that you leave." He growled. How dare these men? How dare these people who had never had children of their own even suggest that he be unfaithful to Katara? She'd never betrayed him, never once let him down. How could they expect him to do that to her? Katara was far more than just some breeding machine, and Kya and Bumi were not failures.

"Avatar Aang-"

"I love my wife and children." Aang said shortly. "I don't want to hear another word about this again. You may leave." He promptly got up and opened the door for the councilmen and they sighed, giving him one last condescending look before he nodded at them and they left. Fuming, he turned and stormed into the hallway, his mind reeling. How dare they-?

He stopped dead in his tracks before he could even finish the thought. There, before him, stood Katara. Her face was streaked with tears, and when she saw him her blue eyes widened.

"Aang..." she began nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just..." She stammered, hurriedly wiping at the tears on her cheeks. Aang felt his heart drop into his stomach.

Katara..." he breathed. "Oh no, I didn't know you were...I thought you were asleep..." Hurriedly, he folded her hands in his. His anger at the councilmen had dissipated entirely into concern and guilt. He shouldn't have let them in in the first place, should have insisted that they take the conversation elsewhere. It was painful enough for him to hear what they'd had to say, but for Katara…he couldn't even imagine. Why did he have to be the avatar? Her lips continued to quiver.

"They're right though." She choked out, wiping at her puffy eyes. Aang groaned inwardly. The damage had in fact been done and once Katara was convinced of something, it was always difficult to change her mind.

"No, they're not." He pulled her gently to their sitting room, sinking down beside her on the sofa and folding her in his arms. Katara lifted her tearstained face to his.

"But it's true! None of our kids are airbenders, Aang. I love them anyways and I know you do too, but Yu-shin is right. Us loving our children the way they are isn't enough to bring balance back to the world or make sure the Avatar cycle stays intact. I'll have as many children as it takes, but I can't promise you we'll have an airbender. If you need to go and spend time with those other women they've picked out, then, then…" The rest of her sentence was cut off by a wave of sobs. Aang only held her tighter, determined to calm her. The hormonal effects of pregnancy were enough of a toll on Katara's emotional state as it was and this was the last thing she needed.

"I'm not leaving you." He murmured. "I'm going to stay with you and our family through all of this no matter what. Even if I did see those other women, I care so much for you that I don't think I'd be able to make anything happen, so it's pointless."

"But the airbenders-"

"Shh." Aang hushed her gently.

"Don't worry about that. Neither of your parents were waterbenders, were they? And you're a master. Even if none of our children turn out to be airbenders, it doesn't have to be the end. Bending is spiritual, remember? The spirits will help the world find balance again, whether it's through our children or something else entirely. Whatever's meant to be will work out, you have to trust that. Me spending time away with other women and trying to force something that's completely wrong isn't going to fix anything, no matter what those crazy councilmen say."

Katara sighed shakily.

"How are you so sure of all of this, Aang? Everyone's watching us. When Bumi was born the whole world wanted to take him and test him right away, remember? Sometimes I get so scared that he won't like who he is because of all the pressure. Doctors want to test_ me_ now, before this little one's even born." Katara rested her palm on her swollen belly, Aang's joining her to cover it. His eyes were side when he met her gaze again.

"Really?" He'd had no idea about that. Katara hadn't told him anything of the sort until now. Katara nodded, lowering her eyes.

"I didn't want you to worry and feel like you had to protect me. I didn't want anyone to think I was diverting you from your duties by telling you it made me uncomfortable." The last part came out as a whisper, a stray tear running down her cheek. "There's just so much pressure Aang, I wish I could just tell them it's an airbender to make them all go away and leave me alone, but I can't. They want to be here when he's born, even. They want to tell me what to eat and when to sleep to increase the chances. And then if he is an airbender, they'll want you to train him the second he can walk and plan his whole life out for him. I just don't know what to do anymore…" Aang took a deep, calming breath to quell the anger that had begun to bubble inside of him once more. The thought that people, doctors even, who were supposed to be well aware of the damage that could be done if a woman was too stressed and pressured while pregnant, were trying to invade Katara's privacy before their child was even born made him want to explode.

"Don't worry." He said instead, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his wife's forehead. "I'll make sure they don't bother you again unless you specifically ask for help. It's none of their business and they should know better. I just want you to focus on relaxing and taking care of yourself as best you can right now, okay? I'll take care of the rest, trust me." Katara bit her lip.

"Okay." She consented softly. Aang sighed, resting his head atop his wife's.

"I never meant for any of this to happen." He murmured remorsefully. "When I pictured myself having a family, I didn't think everyone would want to be so…involved. I never wanted my being the avatar to affect you this way. I never wanted you to even think I'd leave you for a bunch of complete strangers and I'm really sorry. You of all people don't deserve to have to deal with this. You deserve better."

"It isn't your fault." Katara assured. "If I'm not allowed to blame myself for not having any airbenders, you're not allowed to blame yourself for how other people react to you having a family. I love you and I'm not going to stop just because of some silly councilmen." At last, Aang smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind Katara's ear and cupping her face in his hands, leaning in…

"Mommy! Daddy!" Before they could even brace themselves, Kya and Bumi had run into the room and thrown themselves at their parents. From the doorway, Toph was smirking.

"Guess what we did today?" Kya babbled excitedly, and when Aang cought Katara's eye she was smiling. Silently, they agreed that they wouldn't let anyone, no matter how powerful, ruin this. Their family was perfect the way it was.


	64. Respite

**A/N: One request down! =]. Have all of you read p2 of the Promise? In addition to the request I got like, a month ago, that was my inspiration for this. Poor Katara. I can't wait for part 3! Either way, I'm very grateful for that little series as it actually gives us a cannon glimpse into Aang and Katara's lives as a couple. Hope you enjoy!**

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Katara could practically taste the tension in the air as she watched Aang sitting atop Appa's head, taking them back to Yu Dao after attempts to negotiate with Kuei had failed. Neither of them had seen this coming. The king had always been so easy to compromise with before, and this was more than either of them could have predicted. Zuko's reluctance to go along with removing the colonies had also been unexpected, but not quite as shocking as he had always been vulnerable to pressure and people questioning his ability to do the right thing.

Katara could see from the way Aang barely moved, his shoulders and back tense, and the way he hadn't said a word to her since they'd taken off that he felt overwhelmed by the whole situation. She couldn't blame him either. He'd done his best to talk calmly to both Zuko and Kuei but now there seemed to be nowhere for him to turn, for they both knew very well that if the Earth King used force to take the colonies back, Zuko would respond with force of his own, quite possibly escalating the conflict into a second war. Aang would be trying to prevent massive destruction and loss of life almost singlehandedly, again, and it wasn't fair. He'd already done more than his part, and it made Katara so angry she could scream that everyone, particularly people who knew how stressful his duty was, weren't even trying to cooperate with him. She heard him sigh and bit her lip, wanting to go to him and keep him company but unsure whether she could be of much help now. This wasn't something a simple kiss on the cheek could fix.

"Can I sit with you?" She found herself asking hesitantly, wary of intruding on anything personal. Then again, when had there ever been any real personal blocks when it came to Aang and herself? He told her everything, and she certainly didn't hide anything from him. He turned around, moving for the first time Katara had seen in hours and nodded.

"Of course." He answered, and for a moment they sat in silence before Katara decided to bite the bullet and say something. It was killing her to see him like this. Just hours ago he'd been so happy, believing that everything would get sorted out, and now it was like they were at the beginning of the war again, all of his progress for naught.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" She prompted gently, scooting closer to him.

Aang gave a frustrated sigh and turned to look her in the eye.

"It's just...I already defeated Ozai and I thought things were going to get easier from there on out. But they just keep getting more complicated. I was relieved when I didn't have to kill him, but now I just promised one of my friends that I'd kill him if he becomes like Ozai! If I couldn't even kill someone truly evil, how can I kill someone I know is good inside?" His eyes were wide now, a pained frown on his face. Once again, he was overwhelmed by responsibility that no one his age should have to carry alone, or for that matter, at all. "But if I can't do it..." he continued more quietly. "The whole world could go to war again and everyone will think I'm weak, and more people will die." He looked imploringly at Katara. "What am I gonna do?"

Katara's felt her heart wrench with sympathy, and she desperately wracked her brains for a good answer. What could you even say in a situation like this? How often was it that a thirteen year old boy was expected to judge when one of his friends turned evil and needed to be killed? To stop the world from going to war only a year after one had been ended? Tenderly, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You just need to have faith that Zuko won't become like Ozai. You said yourself he's good inside, and we both know he hates his father. Even if things get bad, I'm sure he'll listen if you just talk to him." Aang exhaled softly, letting his eyes close for a moment.

"I don't think he'll be like his father either, but still. I didn't think the Fire Nation would murder every single one of my people when I ran away. It just feels like as much as I want to avoid it, I'm always surrounded by death. And you know how stubborn Zuko can be, especially when he's under pressure. If he sees Kuei attacking the Fire Nation, I really don't know if he _will _listen to me. This is all such a mess." Katara was trying to think of a reply to that when she saw something that hadn't happened in nearly a year. A thin trickle ran down Aang's cheek. He hastily wiped it away and tried to turn his head away, but it was too late and try as he might, he couldn't help it when another followed. Soon, his eyes were filled with the salty liquid and no amount of rubbing or blinking did anything to stop it.

"Aang..." A warm, comforting pair of arms wrapped around him and for a moment he battled mentally over whether to pull away or to just lean in to Katara and try to find solace in her arms. He couldn't afford to fall apart now, not when he might need all of his strength to stop a war tomorrow. But he didn't have a plan. He hadn't seen any of this coming and he hadn't felt so lost since he'd learned that the whole world thought he was dead after his defeat in Ba Sing Se. He found himself unclenching his fists and returning Katara's embrace, pressing his face against the crook of her neck as his back began to shake.

"I shouldn't have stayed with that silly fanclub." he lamented suddenly. "I could've been using that time to plan and prepare and instead I spent it goofing off like a stupid little kid. What kind of avatar am I?" He could feel Katara stiffen at the words.

"Aang, listen to me." She said firmly. "It wasn't a waste. It made you happy to see people interested in your culture. It gave you hope, and that's never a waste. Besides, there was nothing more you could have done. There was no way for you to predict that Kuei was going to turn like that." Aang shook his head.

"I just feel so stupid for believing things were actually going to be okay after this. No one ever stops fighting..." Katara only hugged him tighter.

"It'll be okay. It always is in the end. You'll get through this. We'll get through it together and so will the rest of the world. They have to listen to you. No one can handle another war right now." Aang looked at her wearily, his eyes slightly red now.

"Do you really believe that?" he croaked. Katara nodded.

"I do. You inspire people. Just look at those fangirls of yours." she teased gently. At last, Aang cracked a smile.

"I'm sorry about that too." He murmured. "I realize now that that was a really dumb move of me." Katara shook her head.

"No, it wasn't. I shouldn't have gotten jealous. It's just...you were so happy that they'd learned about the air nomads and all and it just made me feel bad that I haven't done more to connect with that side of you. It's my fault, really." To her surprise, Aang laughed.

"What's so funny?" Katara asked, baffled. She couldn't find anything amusing about the situation.

"It's just...I don't need you to be an air nomad, Katara. I am one already. I love you because of everything else you bring to my life. I'll never forget my people, and honestly, constant reminders of them would probably make me a little sad. But with you...there's nothing about you that makes me sad. You're like a fresh start, and I know that even if I couldn't protect my people I can at least protect you. _You_ give _me_ hope. I always feel like I can do anything when you're around. Besides, as nice as those girls were, I doubt they'd think as highly of me if they saw me like this. With you, I know I can always be honest about how I feel. I trust you." Katara blushed softly.

"Well, does that mean you'll trust me when I say I believe in you and everything will be okay tomorrow?" Aang took a deep breath and gave her the smallest of smiles.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" He asked. Katara kissed his forehead.

"Nope. The same goes for the rest of our lives together. You'll always work things out for the best, I know it." Aang lowered himself to lie on his back, folding his hands behind his head and Katara followed.

"That's the thing." He murmured, a soft frown returning.

"Everyone believes I can fix everything. They don't seem to realize that peace doesn't happen unless everyone cooperates. If I have to kill Zuko for the good of the world, and I don't even know if I could, the Fire Nation would see it as an act of war on the part of the whole world against them again. But if I sit back and do nothing, people will think I'm irresponsible. Either way I'm not doing my job. To be honest, I just feel really lost right now." His gray eyes gleamed with sadness. Katara frowned and gave his hand a squeeze, rolling onto her side to face him.

"I know it's hard." She began. "But for once, just don't worry about what people think. You're doing the best you can and people will catch on eventually. Most people do want to help you." She paused. "And even when they don't...I'll always be here for you. And I think you're the greatest avatar the world has ever seen." Though he looked away, Katara swore she saw his eyes brighten just slightly at the compliment.

"Really?" He questioned softly. Katara nodded.

"Really really. And the greatest boyfriend. Now, why don't you let me steer Appa so you can get some sleep, Mister Avatar. You deserve it." Aang was about to protest, but knew all too well that once Katara had made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change it. Besides, he wasn't about to start an argument with the one person who was actually on his side.

"Alright." He agreed. "If you insist." Katara sat up and rested his head in her lap. Now, he couldn't help but smile as he closed his eyes, feeling her fingers tenderly caressing his brow.

"I love you." She murmured. His heart skipped a beat. No matter how hard the rest of his life would be, it would all be worth it if he could just hear those words every so often. She was all he really needed.

"I love you too."


	65. What Could Be

**A/N: Oh dear it has been a while :(. This is another request as my creative juices really haven't been flowing lately and I can't seem to think of too many of my own ideas. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll come back to me eventually. I'm sorry for the wait, which is due in part to me working 9-5 most days and being wiped out afterwards and in part to my aforementioned difficulties with creative idea-spawning. Wish my ideas a speedy return! Thank you for being patient. **

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It was a still morning in the beginnings of what was to be Air Temple Island and Aang found himself waking with the sun, casting a fond smile onto Katara's sleeping form before pushing himself to his feet and walking to the water's edge, looking out over the rest of Republic City and the rising sun sparkling on the water. He and Katara had been working on the Temple almost all day yesterday and when he'd suggested they spend the night camping on the island instead of returning to their apartment, she'd readily agreed and they'd settled down together to sleep. He smiled. With Katara by his side every day, this place was already beginning to feel like another home.

The group of acolytes, some from the Northern Air Temple, were scheduled to move in after the temple's construction was complete and Aang had a feeling he and (he hoped desperately) Katara would eventually inhabit it as well. As it was an island, it was secluded enough for him to have time alone with the ones he loved, but still, it was in the heart of Republic City so he could be near enough to attend to his ongoing responsibilities as the avatar. He realized with a grin that the rest of his life from the point he'd woken from his hundred year slumber, could not have gone any better than it had thus far. He was certain there would be more problems in the future, yes, but for now they couldn't possibly feel further away. His grin grew still wider when he heard a pair of footsteps behind him.

"Good morning." He greeted Katara. She stretched her arms over her head and he felt his heart skip a beat. To him, she always looked beautiful, but there was something extra special to him about getting to be the first one to see her in the morning before she prepared herself for the day to be seen by anyone else. He loved the way her hair tumbled in thick waves over her back and shoulders, the way she stepped out in just her undergarments to greet him. Perhaps he was looking too far into it, but it made him feel special that he was one of the only people she allowed to see her in her state of undress. He snapped out of his reverie when she graced him with a smile of her own.

"Still can't sleep past sunrise?" She asked, amused.

"I can't help it." Aang answered. "New days are just so exciting…don't you think?" Katara laughed.

"With you I guess they are." She nudged him. "I mean, you've been so happy lately. Being around you like that makes it almost impossible to feel anything else." Aang's eyes brightened at the compliment.

"Really?" Katara nodded.

"Yeah. I always think it's amazing that even though people expect so much of you you're still so…upbeat. I really admire that about you." Aang laughed.

"I can't help that either. Everything just feels so right. I feel like I could do anything here, I can be around you without being afraid someone's gonna hurt you because I know we're safe, I can teach people about the air nomads, and I'm going to have a home for the rest of my life with…" he fell short here, allowing his sentence to trail off. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"With what?" She asked. Aang ducked his head slightly in an attempt to hide his blush. He waved a hand dismissively.

"Nothing. It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" He noted. Katara rolled her eyes.

"It is. But you know you're only digging yourself into a deeper hole here, Aang. What were you gonna say?" Now she was really curious. What was so embarrassing about what Aang wanted that he didn't feel like he could share it with her? "Come on Aang." She beseeched when he bit his lip hesitantly. "It can't be that bad." Aang sighed and looked at with a both nervousness and a glimmer of innocent hope in his eyes.

"I was going to say with you." He said softly. "But I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. I don't want to just assume this is what you want too, you know? It's just that when I'm with you sometimes I can't help but get carried away in this great fantasy of getting to spend the rest of my life with you and all…I just don't want you to feel pressured."

"Oh." Katara blushed as well, but then turned to him and smiled. "Well, don't worry Aang. I don't feel pressured. I mean...part of the reason I fell in love with you is because you make me feel free and happy, so honestly? I can't see the rest of my life without you either, and I'd love to live here." Aang beamed in response and reached down to lace his fingers with hers. They lapsed into a comfortable, contented silence, watching the sun rise over the island. A family of raccoon squirrels scampered near their feet, and Katara turned to look at them fondly. As it was springtime, there were many young animals to be seen with their parents. Only, in light of the conversation she'd just had with Aang, the sight triggered something in her that went beyond simply finding the family cute. Hesitantly, she met his eyes before looking away quickly and blushing. The silence after the look was not as comfortable as the one they'd shared just moments ago however, and Katara suddenly found herself willing to take a leap. In truth, she'd fantasized about far more than just being alone with Aang and she'd been aching to talk about it.

"Aang." She said timidly. He met her gaze again.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about having kids?" She followed the question with a hopeful smile, blue eyes shining with cautious optimism. He grinned broadly.

"Yeah, definitely." He answered. Gaining confidence from this response, Katara decided to continue.

"So…if we do end up living here together and all, you don't mind the idea of having a family together?" Aang squeezed her hand.

"You read my mind." He laughed. Katara leaned affectionately against him, feeling pleasantly warm inside.

"Well, judging by the way it's turning out so far, I think this would be a great place to raise kids." She paused. "Our kids." At the words, Aang felt his heart soar.

"You do?" He asked. Katara nodded shyly.

"Definitely. You're not the only one who fantasizes about the future, sweetie. I love you way too much to consider spending my life with anyone but you." Aang beamed and then gave his beloved a slightly mischievous look.

"So…you're saying you want to have children with me." Katara giggled, nudging him playfully.

"Yes." She affirmed. "That's what I'm saying. When we're married of course, but…yeah, I do. I think you were made to be a father." Aang gazed at her fondly.

"I'm not too goofy and immature?" Katara shook her head.

"If our kids are anything like you, they'll need someone as energetic as you. Besides, you've always known how to be mature and responsible when it comes to the important things." Aang chuckled.

"But if they're anything like me, they'll drive _you _crazy when they're little. Gyatso always said it was nearly impossible to get me to go to bed when I was supposed to or even sit still for more than ten minutes." Katara laughed.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. But I wouldn't change that about you if I could. Or about our kids if they do turn out like you." Aang looked out over the water again, his expression suddenly serious.

"Are you want to get your hopes up about this?" He questioned. "I mean, things are going great now, but our lives rarely go as planned, you know that. What if there's more conflict? Would you really want to be worrying about kids through something like that?" At this, Katara's expression turned solemn as well.

"I know things aren't always going to be easy Aang." She began. "But that's not what this is about. You mean the world to me and I'm staying with you no matter how hard things get. If it gets dangerous, we'll make sure to bring the kids somewhere they'll be safer. But there's no point in not even trying out of fear of something going wrong." She gave his hand a squeeze. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips again.

"I guess you're right." He admitted. "Besides," he continued, "If I'm made to be a father, then you'd be the best mom ever, and I couldn't possibly deprive you of that." He grinned mischievously. "Now that you've brought it up though…how many?" Katara gasped in mock affront and gave Aang a playful shove.

"Why Aang! We're not even married yet!" She exclaimed. Aang scoffed, though his eyes were dancing with mirth.

"That can be easily fixed, you know." He responded and before Katara had time to retort, he'd swept her literally off of her feet and into his arms. Katara shrieked in surprise and was about to scold him, but couldn't find the heart upon catching sight of his adoring gaze and the warm smile on his lips that she knew was for her. _Just for her. _She sighed.

"However many we have." She answered at last. "I _have_ always said there need to be more people like you in the world, so I really can't pass up an opportunity to make that happen." Aang grinned.

"Technically, you've already done your part there seeing as you saved me and all. What the world really needs is more people like _you._" Katara blushed and Aang sank to his knees, allowing them to sit together against the short stone wall separating the island from the bay.

"More hot tempered water benders who overreact to little things" She asked. Aang nodded.

"More beautiful, kind, brave people who save peoples' li-" The rest of the words were drowned out when Katara's lips captured his, her hand sliding up to caress his face and his wrapping around her waist to pull her closer.

When they parted, Aang leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Katara's forehead and she leaned comfortably against his shoulder. Mentally, he made a note to get started on a betrothal necklace for her. Soon.

"I can't wait." She murmured, her eyes alight as she tilted her head to look up at him. Aang chuckled.

"To have kids?" he questioned.

"For everything. Kids, this temple, the rest of my life with you…all of it." Aang sighed contentedly, basking in the warm glow of happiness Katara never failed to bring him.

"Yeah. Me neither."


	66. Kataang Week Day 1: Beginnings

**A/N: Happy Kataang Week everyone! For the first time (took me long enough) I am participating in the KF Kataang Week challenge 8). Which means I will be updating every day this week. At first I thought to myself "this'll never happen, I work from 9-5 and then I'm exhausted." But then I realized that I've always wanted to do Kataang week and somehow manage to miss it every year, and THIS WILL BE MY YEAR. Besides, I've been lazy all summer (apart from my job) and I this'll be a good challenge for me.  
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**Day 1 Prompt: Beginnings. **

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Katara silently watched Aang sitting seemingly calmly atop Appa's head, legs crossed in their usual fashion. She'd been watching him for what felt like hours now, and for whatever reason couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. Sokka was asleep on the other side of the saddle, which she privately thanked the spirits for as she was sure if he were awake he'd be teasing her about looking at their friend for so long. Right, _friend. _She told herself. Friend and _very powerful bender._ Her brain whispered to her. She sighed. She couldn't deny she was impressed by his strength, but what really fascinated her about him was the way he stayed so easy going, so happy and kind and friendly despite everything. So undeniably likeable. Even if it was just in a friendly way, because that was all it could be. Because she didn't like Aang, not romantically anyways. _Right. _Because friends were inexplicably intrigued by the idea of possibly one day getting married and that was perfectly normal. She wondered if Aunt Wu had told him anything about his love life that would lead her any closer to the answer…but Aang was a monk anyways, right? Monks didn't marry or have children, did they? Exactly. So she didn't have to worry about it anyways. But then how did they keep their race going? They couldn't have all been celibate for life, and it couldn't possibly be that all the children were accidents, could it? Katara suddenly found her mind flooding with questions, questions that only a certain airbender sitting several feet in front of her could answer. _Don't ask_. She scolded herself._ His people are all gone, you don't want to hurt him by reminding him of that._ But would asking a couple questions about his heritage really be so harmful? He _did _look kind of lonely, she decided.

"Hey." Before she could stop herself, she had made her way to sit beside her friend in question on Appa's head, offering him a timid smile. He practically beamed at her in response.

"Hey!" he exclaimed happily, before blushing and looking out over Appa's head again. "I mean um…what brings you to this part of the bison?" He tried again, though when he looked at her he still wore that grin of his. Katara giggled in spite of herself.

"Just thought you could use some company." She answered half-truthfully.

"Yeah, I do love your compa- I mean, company in general is nice, you know, not being alone and stuff…" he trailed off, his blush unmistakable this time. _Does he…?_ Katara begin to think to herself. _Nah. You're just a simple water tribe girl. He's the avatar! That's impossible…_

"Yeah, I like company too." She agreed, trying to ease the awkwardness. "You're a lot of fun to be around." She complimented without thinking. Aang brightened.

"Really?" Katara laughed. Somehow, Aang always made her smile without even trying. Every moment she spent with him was somehow effortless, so unlike every other part of her life thus far. Which was part of what she liked so much about him. In a friend sort of way of course. She nodded.

"Yeah, you are."

"Good, 'cause I think you are too." He answered, this time without stumbling over his words. Katara felt her own cheeks heat up at the compliment. _Stop it._ She told herself sternly.

"At least _someone_ thinks so." She rolled her eyes and jerked her head in Sokka's direction and Aang laughed.

"I'm sure he knows it deep down." He said. Katara nodded and for a moment they both sat in silence, looking out over the front of Appa's head. After a moment of debating with herself, Katara decided to bite the bullet.

"So Aang…um, I was wondering, did Aunt Wu tell you anything interesting about your future?" Aang shrugged.

"Nothing I didn't already know. I'm going to be involved in a great struggle over good and evil and all that." His shoulders sagged and his mood seemed to dampen at the thought. "I guess that's the most important thing when you're the avatar in the middle of a hundred year war." Sensing his sadness, Katara rested a hand on his shoulder. She couldn't help but feel her heart go out to him each time he was struck with the enormous responsibility he had to bear.

"It'll be okay." She assured. "I mean, I'm sure there's plenty more for someone like you. There's a lot more to you than just the whole Avatar thing." Aang looked up and gave her a hopeful smile.

"You think so?" He asked. Katara nodded.

"I know so." And just like that, Aang's smile was back, the dark clouds gone from his eyes.

"What'd Aunt Wu tell you?" He asked, picking up a sudden air of nervousness, and was that…guilt? His eyes flickered anxiously over her face, towards his lap, behind her…everywhere but her eyes. She decided to ignore it, instead shrugging as well.

"Eh, you know…stuff." _Ugh, that's getting you nowhere, Katara._ She scolded herself inwardly. "I'm supposed to marry a powerful bender." She blurted out before she could stop herself. "But I mean, there's lots of those, you know? Because a lot of people are benders and I guess it could be any of them…haha." This time it was Aang who looked at her strangely, and she couldn't blame him. She could've kicked herself. _Wow, that sounded stupid. _She told herself. _Whatever._ The other part of her brain told her. _Just get to the point. _"Well, um…yeah. Speaking of marriage, did um…airbenders ever fall in love or get married? They were monks, weren't they?" She questioned. Aang looked at his lap again and blushed.

"Well um…" He sighed, "I know that they fall in love." He locked his eyes with hers and she felt an odd tingle go down her spine, try as she might to ignore it. It couldn't mean anything, could it? But that look he was giving her…she'd never seen it anywhere else. She pushed the thought aside, waiting for him to continue. "Not all of us were monks though, otherwise we would've died out even sooner than we did. I guess there weren't really any hard and fast rules about what you had to do, it was all about finding your own path and stuff. But…" He sighed, "Often, those who chose love and earthly attachment over spiritual enlightenment were looked at as silly. Gyatso never said anything bad about them, but sometimes I'd hear the other elders talking about how those who chose love and commitment could never be true masters of the element." He seemed to deflate again at the words and Katara felt herself do the same, but she stopped herself for his sake. "I don't know…" he sighed. "I kind of hope that's not true, you know? I mean…I think I would like to get married, someday." He said wistfully, suddenly sounding much older than twelve. Katara laid a hand on his back.

"Then I'm sure you will." She gave him her best reassuring smile, her heart skipping a beat (what was the use in denying it?) when he returned it. "You're already an airbending master, I don't think falling in love or getting married will take that away from you. Just follow your heart." She was aware that the words sounded beyond corny, but she couldn't help but want to cheer Aang up. He more than anyone deserved to be happy.

"That's what Aunt Wu said too." He recalled. "Though…I think it means more to me coming from you." He confessed, giving her a shy smile. This time, she returned it with confidence.

"Thanks." She replied, and, gathering up her courage, placed a kiss on his cheek. She didn't know exactly what it was inside of her that had moved her to do it, but for once, she didn't care. It had felt good. And besides, they had all the time in the world to sort this out.


	67. Kataang Week Day 2: The Brink

**A/N: Day two! Onwards with the challenge 8). **

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Sokka opened his eyes blearily as the sound of footsteps woke him from his already uneasy slumber. The steps got closer and closer to his room, down the hall of their captured Fire Nation ship. Rolling onto his back, Sokka realized that it was pitch black, meaning it was the middle of the night. Why on earth would anyone be up now? Subconsciously, of course, he knew exactly who was up and exactly why. Part of him told him to go back to sleep and let Katara do what she thought was best, but another part of him had seen enough of this. He was tired of watching his sister exhaust herself with grief over their comatose friend, and he recognized it to be a result of the same determination he had. If this were Suki, he had a feeling he'd be acting very similarly. But that didn't mean it was a good idea. Swinging himself out of his cot, he stumbled out of his room and followed the footsteps and the faintly glowing torches in the hallway to where he knew Aang rested.

Sure enough, when he pushed the door open he found none other than Katara at the unconscious Avatar's bedside, holding one of his hands tightly in both of her own, her head on his chest, shoulders shaking with sobs. Sokka felt a painful pang in his chest at the sight, recalling how he'd held Yue's lifeless body in his arms in the minutes after she'd sacrificed herself to become the moon spirit. But Aang was still alive.

"He wouldn't want you doing this to yourself." Katara jumped at the sound of her brother's voice, whirling around to face him. Her eyes were bloodshot from both crying and lack of sleep, tears streaming from them. It had been one week.

"Just go away, Sokka." The words shook as they left her quivering lips. But her brother would not be deterred so easily. Not this time. She didn't know it, he told himself, but now was the worst time for her to be alone. It was dangerous. She was losing herself entirely, driving herself mad in a frantic effort to fix what she couldn't. Not right now.

He stepped closer to her, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her back.

"Katara…" he sighed. "What are you doing?" Katara's shaking grip on Aang's hand became tighter.

"H-he needs me…" she said in barely a whisper, her entire body trembling.

"He's gonna need you sane when he wakes up." Sokka pointed out gently. "Look, Katara, I know it hurts and this is scary. We're all scared and we all care about Aang. But you have to rest. This isn't helping anybo-"

"I said he needs me!" Katara shouted suddenly, getting to her feet. She looked half crazy, standing there in her undergarments, her hair a disheveled mess as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. Sokka looked at her sternly.

"Katara-"

"NO!" She yelled. "No, okay? I'm not going back to my room and just abandoning him here! I can't do that, I can't…I can't leave him alone. You're asking me to be selfish, but I'm not that kind of person!" She screamed at him. Sokka got to his feet as well now.

"Which is why you shouldn't be doing this! Don't you get it? You can't help anybody when you're driving yourself insane!"

"I'M NOT INSANE!" Suddenly, the water from her healing pouch flew from its container to form a dozen sharp icicles, which Katara hurled with all her might at the wall across from them, several of them just narrowly missing her brother's face. He stood in stunned silence while her shoulders heaved as she panted heavily.

"You don't understand." She said more quietly now, her voice breaking. "You have no idea, how can you even say-" She didn't finish.

"_I _don't understand?" Sokka's voice now increased in volume, his face reddening in anger. "Katara, how can you say that? I lost the first woman I ever loved and I couldn't do anything to save her! She didn't…she didn't even have a chance…" Against his will, his own lips began to tremble and he took a deep breath, sitting back down. This was the worst time he could've picked to lose his temper and he knew it but…Katara collapsed next to him, sobs overtaking her.

"I'm sorry, Sokka…" She managed to say. "I know you lost Yue and it was hard. I just…I just don't know what to do…I feel so powerless all the time because no matter what I do he won't wake up and it's…it's…all my fault…he doesn't deserve this…" She trembled uncontrollably, her head felt cloudy and there was a faint buzzing in her ears and a dull, thudding pain in her skull. Maybe she was going insane… "I just need him to come back…please Aang…please just come back…" Sokka winced. Neither of their lives had been easy, but he'd never heard his sister's voice so full of despair. She sounded empty, broken, hopeless.

"You blame yourself, don't you?" He asked quietly, putting an arm around her. It was a gesture he hadn't done in a long while, but one he knew she desperately needed right now. She nodded tearfully.

"Because it's my fault." She choked. "If I'd been on my guard…I wouldn't have gotten captured. If I'd just seen it coming…and then in the catacombs I…I should've taken the lightning for him…I could've done so many things and I didn't. I almost killed him, Sokka…and I can't live if he never wakes up…" the thought of Aang asleep forever, never to return to her triggered a fresh wave of sobs to overtake her violently.

"Oh no no no no no, no." Sokka cut in. "Katara, you can't think like that. You're one of the most observant people I know. There's no way you could've seen the coup coming. And say you had somehow taken the lightning for Aang- I don't even know if you could've, it's impossibly fast- what good would that have done anyone? I don't know if any of us would've figured out the spirit oasis water thing fast enough and Aang would be too much of a wreck to even try to focus on mastering the elements. Besides, then Azula would still be hunting us to look for him." Katara wiped at her eyes.

"I know…" she said quietly. "But I can't help but blame myself anyways, you know? I almost used up the spirit water on…" She stopped, feeling sick. Sokka looked at her curiously. He hadn't heard this part of the story before.

"On what?" He prompted gently. His sister looked like she might faint and he tightened his grip on her.

"It wasn't on Momo's stupid mosquito-flea bites was it?" He asked. Really, it was a humorless situation, but he couldn't help but try and put Katara more at ease. She laughed dryly, but the look in her eyes expressed gratitude for her brother's attempt at cheering her up.

"No." She said softly. "But it may as well have been. Zuko and I…we were trapped in the catacombs together at first and he told me this stupid sob story about his mom and his scar and how he was thinking maybe he was having a change of heart about capturing Aang and, ugh…" She shuddered, her face twisting into an expression of pure hatred and her hands shaking. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I felt bad for him, so I almost used the oasis water to heal his scar." Sokka grimaced, but did his best to rid his face of the expression when he saw his sister's. She looked more ashamed than he'd ever seen her, staring at the ground as though she hoped it would swallow her up.

"You didn't know." He said gently. Katara shook he head, her lips trembling.

"It doesn't matter. Aang could've really died and it would've been all my fault. I almost betrayed my best friend, Sokka. How could I do that to him? He's always been there for me, he deserves so much better…" Sokka sighed.

"There you go again with beating yourself up." He pointed out. "If you're worried about Aang, think of how he'd feel if he knew you were treating yourself this way. Think if you were the one who'd gotten shot down and he'd been the one with the spirit water. Would you want him doing this?" Katara shook her head, but she couldn't seem to stop the tears or the sick feeling in her stomach at the thought of Aang nearly dying because of her foolish almost-decision.

"No." She breathed. "But that's different. Aang's a better person than me, he doesn't deserve to feel this way. I do."

"Katara." Sokka urged. "Look at yourself. You're with Aang trying to heal him almost every second of the day. You've barely left his side for a minute since we got here. I think that makes you a pretty good friend. And I think he would think so too." For once, Katara was at a loss for a good counterargument and for a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of waves sloshing against the outside of the ship and Katara's quiet sobs.

"I just miss him so much." She croaked after a time, obviously exhausted but too distraught to sleep. "I just want him to open his eyes right now and smile and tell me he's okay like he always does."

"He will." Sokka assured. "He just needs time." Katara raised a hand to wipe some of the tears from her cheeks.

"I hear him cry in his sleep sometimes." She admitted in a trembling voice. "Sometimes he twitches and has these spasms and I can tell he's in pain and I can't do anything to help him. It's the worst feeling in the world." Sokka nodded sympathetically.

"Would you take his place if it would bring him back right now?" He asked. Katara looked at him and nodded sadly.

"I'd take any punishment or pain if it would bring him back." She whispered. They were quiet for a moment before Sokka spoke again.

"Have you ever thought you might be in love with him?" Katara's breath stilled before she nodded just slightly, barely enough for Sokka to see.

"I think I do." She confessed. "He's…he's so much more to me than just the Avatar now, more than a friend. He's my hero, he's the most amazing person I've ever met and I don't know what I'd do if he didn't…if he didn't…" She couldn't finish, taken by another flood of tears. Sokka brought both of his arms around her in a hug and this time, she didn't resist, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Shh." He whispered. "He'll wake up, you know he will." Katara didn't answer, remaining in her brother's embrace for a time and then kneeling to face Aang again, taking one of his hands and holding it to her cheek, closing her eyes. He seemed to flinch slightly, a groan escaping his lips. Katara cupped his face, hushing him gently and Sokka watched with a combination of sympathy and grim admiration. Even when she was at breaking point, Katara would always put her loved ones first. He rested a hand on her arm and this time she turned to him with no aggression on her face. No, now she only looked weary with grief.

"I know I can't stop you from caring for Aang as much as you do." He told her. "But we care about you too. If you want to stay in here, with him at night, I won't stop you. But can you at least promise me you'll try to sleep and eat normally? For his sake too." With a weak smile, Katara nodded.

"Okay." She whispered. "I'll try." Sokka stood up and embraced her, placing a kiss on her forehead before standing back.

"Good. I'll get you for breakfast then. I think it's best Dad doesn't know you're staying in here for right now, if you know what I mean." Katara chuckled tiredly.

"Thanks Sokka. I love you." Her brother smiled.

"Yeah, love you too." He gave her shoulder one last parting squeeze before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. Sniffling, Katara curled up next to Aang, cradling him against her and stroking the skin on his arm until she fell into an uneasy slumber.


	68. Kataang Week Day 3: Closer

**A/N: Day 3! I'm very proud of myself so far, I haven't written this much in ages and it feels fantastic :). Thanks for all the support! Random exciting excerpt from my life: Today I went to Warped Tour and I got to meet Yellowcard, one of my favorite bands of all time. I'm still kind of reeling from excitement/euphoria/joy, etc...so I'm in an especially good mood posting this today. Enjoy!**

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Technically, she'd come here entirely by mistake. She hadn't been aware that this was where Aang had been practicing his earthbending, not really. But sure enough, there he was in all his Avatar glory, practicing the moves and forms Toph had been so diligently coaching him in, and looking _all too good_ doing them. Thin trails of perspiration trickled down his lean, muscled back as he forced the earth to conform to his will, pulling up large slabs of rock to use as defensive barriers and occasionally kicking them at nearby trees, which he used as targets. She'd fully intended to go to the river, drink the watermelon juice she was carrying, and then go for a swim to cool off. But suddenly, cooling off was the last thing on her mind. In fact, right now there was only room for one thing on her mind, and that thing was the scene before her.

Almost as though her body had a mind of its own, she found herself sitting cross legged on the grass a bit of a distance from Aang, setting the drink down beside her. Sensing her presence through the ground, Aang turned around at her arrival, grinning his signature big grin and waving at her. She waved back with a smile of her own, suddenly very aware of how warm it was.

"Hey Katara, watch this!" He exclaimed. _Haha._ She thought to herself. _Like I'm physically capable of doing anything else right now. _She smiled and nodded however, watching every slight movement of his limbs, every arch of his back, the way his tattoos curved gracefully around his arms, legs, and back. Part of her felt as though she ought to be ashamed for looking at him like this. He was trying to train for something serious, and here she was gawking at him like some silly fangirl. What was wrong with her? Then again, he had invited her to watch, and it would've been rude to refuse, right?

She was faintly aware of her mouth running dry as he unearthed a huge boulder and with a powerful kick sent it hurdling at one of the trees. Surely, it would knock the trunk over completely and cause a great deal of damage, and she thought she'd seen a heard of koala sheep grazing on the other side. Aang would feel awful for days if he killed one for no reason.

"Aang, don't-!" Her cry died in her throat however, for just before the boulder hit, Aang thrust his arms outwards and broke the boulder into a shower of tiny, harmless pebbles that rained down around the tree. Katara let out the breath she'd been holding, eyes wide with amazement.

"You didn't think I'd kill all the poor koala sheep did you?" He asked, grinning at her. Katara blushed.

"Oh no, of course not…silly me…" she trailed off. He was now facing her, and it was the first time she'd seen Aang shirtless since her healing sessions on him after Azula's lightning strike. Yes, she decided, it was entirely too warm. She stretched her legs out over the grass, watching intently as Aang went through the motions of another series of forms and attacks, listening to the sound of his heavy breathing as he trained. It was odd, she mused, how just months ago she'd been comforting him in that small stream about his struggles with earthbending, and now here he was, tossing rocks like a born earthbender. And she couldn't say she minded. Not in the least. Privately, she thanked the spirits that they were hiding out and that Aang had to keep himself secret for the time being as for right now, Aang was all hers to enjoy privately and there were no annoying fangirls or admirers to ruin it for her.

She found herself finally relaxing as she watched him, simply enjoying the proximity between the two of them and the way Aang would occasionally turn to her to flash her one of his endearing smiles. Soon, she was completely absorbed in him and in a world that seemed to be at the moment, not too far away, Aang approached her, kneeling before her and folding her hands into his warm ones, giving her that kind, inviting smile of his and leaning in to cup her face, stroking her hairline with his thumb before leaning in and kissing her. He tugged her gently onto his lap, and she straddled him and...she sighed a wistful sigh, and suddenly, or she supposed, not so suddenly, Aang had probably been winding down for a while before she'd gotten distracted...he stopped, raising his arms over his head in a stretch before approaching her. Approaching her...leaning down and leaning his forehead against hers so that their noses just barely touched and-

"Katara?"

"Ah! Aang!" This time, he _was_ in fact right in front of her and in her surprise Katara reached for the ground to catch her balance- knocking over the coconut shell of watermelon juice in the process so that it spilled across her skirt.

"Oh no..." She lamented, her face growing hot with embarrassment. Aang's smile at seeing her turned into an apologetic frown.

"Oh man Katara, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...I mean, I thought you saw me, but..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess that's kind of vain for me to assume, huh?" He questioned, eyes wide with guilt. Katara shook her head fervently.

"Oh, no! I was watching you, I was just spacing out, I guess. It's my fault." She bended the liquid from her skirt, leaving it dry once more. Then, she offered him a smile, hoping to ease his conscience. "You're getting really good, by the way. If I didn't know any better, I'd say your'e a master." Aang beamed.

"Thanks. But I don't think I'd be so sore afterwards if I were really a master." He rolled his shoulders and grimaced slightly at the tension in his muscles.

"I was actually going to go to the river." She found herself telling him suddenly. "I could help you with that, if you want." Aang's eyes lit up at the suggestion. This, he decided, was a wonderful day. Katara had sat here just to watch him earthbend, and now she was offering him her heavenly healing treatment, all in one afternoon.

"Yeah, I could definitely use some healing." he agreed, not bothering to hide his enthusiasm. She laughed.

"Well, come on then, mister Avatar." She teased good naturedly, pushing herself to her feet and smiling to herself as Aang followed her to the river.

When they arrived, Aang knelt on the stream's sandy bank, feeling Katara sink down behind him. He braced himself on his hands, releasing a sigh of pleasure when Katara's cool, water coated hands touched his back, easing the tension in his shoulders.

"Mmm..." He groaned, bending subconsciously into her touch. Katara blushed at this vocal reaction, willing herself as strongly as she could to stay in the present, for the sounds Aang was making in response to her minstrations threatened to take her somewhere else entirely. This wasn't about her stupid crush on her best friend, this was about healing him and helping him feel better. Of course, she knew that in truth, what she felt for Aang went beyond what one might label as a crush, but she pushed those thoughts aside for now. He had enough on his plate as it was and the last thing he needed was a declaration of love from his best friend.

"You know, I thought this would be the part of our trip I'd hate most." Aang spoke suddenly, giving Katara a much welcome distraction from her inner musings.

"Yeah?" She prompted curiously. He nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, it seemed really dangerous at first and the Fire Nation did kill my people...but...I really like it here. I've had a lot of fun so far." Katara nodded thoughtfully. Aang did have a point. True, the hardest part of their mission was certainly yet to come, but so far, the Fire Nation wasn't half as bad as she'd always imagined it to be. It was beautiful for one, there was no denying that, and besides Combustion Man, who, while making it difficult to feel safe and at ease, was certainly no more threatening than Azula and Zhao had been, they weren't in the constant danger they were used to.

That...and Katara found herself feeling unreasonably happy every time Aang so much as said good morning to her since he'd woken from his lightning-induced coma.

"Yeah." She agreed. "Me too..." she hesitated, debating whether or not to speak what was on her mind. "I um...I think one reason I like it as much as I do so far is because you're back." She stopped her bending now, having done all she could for Aang several minutes ago. He shuffled around to face her, eyes wide with interest.

"Really?" He questioned. Katara nodded, having already decided that there was no point now in being dishonest.

"When you were out...I was really scared. And not just because I was worried you wouldn't wake up in time for the eclipse. You're my best friend, Aang. I-I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. It was the worst I've felt since my mom died." The last confession was said in a hushed whisper and Aang's eyes shone with guilt for the second time that afternoon.

"I'm sorry for letting you down." He whispered. "If I'd been more careful-" Katara held up her hands.

"No, it wasn't your fault and you didn't let me down. You never did, so don't think that way." Aang shrugged, indirectly telling Katara that he was still having some trouble grappling with what had happened. Instead of moping about it however, he smiled.

"I'm glad it was you who saved me though." He confessed. Katara blushed, her stomach clenching slightly. That stupid urge to kiss him was back with a vengeance and it was all she could do to hold it inside.

"Why?" She asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"Well, you owe someone a lot after they save your life. And out of all the people I could be in debt to that way, I'm glad it's you. I'd rather owe you than anyone else." He gave her a bashful smile.

"Aang…" On one hand, she was touched, but on the other, she didn't want Aang to feel indebted to her. "Look, I didn't save your life because I thought it would be a good way to get favors from you afterwards. I saved you because I really care about you and you're my best friend…and at this point, I don't know if I can imagine life without you. You being okay is payment enough if you're really concerned about it." Aang however, only held up his hands.

"Sorry Katara, I've already decided on my airbender's honor that I'll make it up to you somehow. You'll just have to put up with it." Katara rolled her eyes at her friend, shaking her head good naturedly.

"Whatever you say, oh mighty avatar. How may I ask, are you planning to "make it up to me," then?" Aang shrugged, looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I'm still figuring it out. But I have a few ideas. Starting with this." Before Katara could even fully process what was happening, Aang had swept up her hands in his, and looking at her with that same unfamiliar expression from under his lashes, pressed a kiss to the back of each of her palms. Then, he pushed himself to his feet, stealing one last glance at her before leaving, just like that, leaving Katara in a combination of shock, happiness, and confusion. What on earth, she wondered, could that have meant? Was he just being polite and old fashioned? Could it be some sacred air nomad gesture of gratefulness? Or was he showing her another type of feeling entirely?

Only one thing was certain to her now regarding Aang, and that was that she could no longer dismiss her feelings for him as anything less than love, whether he knew it yet or not.


	69. Kataang Week Day 4: Euphoria

**A/N: Day 4! Whooo!**

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It was hard now for Aang to imagine he'd ever been worried that things wouldn't turn out for the best in his life. His life of course was nowhere near complete (or at least, he hoped not) but he didn't know what could be more dangerous than fighting the firelord after months of being tracked by his daughter and various other people who had tried to capture and kill him. Even more amazing to him than winning his battle with the Ozai however, was winning Katara's affections. He'd been trying his hardest, certainly, but he'd had no idea that it would be sufficient. She was, after all, perfect, he sincerely believed she could've picked any man in the world if she'd wanted, and yet she'd chosen him. The very thought made him want to leap into the clouds for joy.

Even though it was a dreary day, rain falling from the clouds onto the city of Ba Sing Se, Aang could not have felt sunnier. He hadn't, even for one minute, been able to take his mind off of her and their potential future together since she'd kissed him just days ago. Grinning as he relived the moment for the hundredth time in his mind, he went to the window facing the street outside their apartment, looking through the glass impatiently in hopes of seeing Katara. She'd gone to the market earlier that day, claiming that it would be less crowded because of the weather. Now that he thought about it, he wished he'd joined her. He'd played Pai Sho with Sokka, but other than that, there really wasn't much to do indoors and any time spent with Katara was a good time to him.

Smiling to himself, he recalled Gyatso telling him about love for the first time. One of the older boys, Srijan, had run away from the Air Temple one day and never returned. Aang, being only six at the time couldn't for the life of him comprehend why anyone would leave the wonderful, fun life at the temple, and when he'd asked Gyatso the elder had smiled sagely...

_"You must understand, young Aang, that being a monk is not for everyone. You see, Srijan fell in love and chose that over monkhood." Aang made a face._

_"I don't understand. We have so much fun...what's so great about girls anyways?" Gyatso laughed._

_"That is something I'm afraid you'll have to find out for yourself someday, Aang. Perhaps one day you will feel inclined to do the same as Srijan." Aang balked at this, rather alarmed that his mentor would even suggest such a ridiculous notion._

_"No way! Girls are weird. I want to live here forever." Gyatso only patted his charge's head, smiling fondly._

_"You think so now, but there is no way to know what the future will bring us until we are there. But do not be troubled, I'm certain that whatever you choose, you will be happy."_

Aang gave a melancholy sigh at the memory, his breath fogging up the glass for a few seconds. Gyatso had been right. He certainly hadn't run away knowing that he'd meet Katara one hundred years later, but as much as he missed his people, he couldn't honestly say he regretted it. Katara was great. She was in fact, the best thing that had ever happened to him. And if Srijan's feelings for the girl he'd run away with were anything close to what Aang felt for Katara, he couldn't blame the young man for his decision in the least, for he would follow Katara to the ends of the earth if it ever came to it. He would- Aang came to a pause in his thoughts, a flash of green catching his eye in the corner of the window. Katara had been wearing green today...and as the figure came closer, Aang noticed that the person was carrying Katara's umbrella, and that could only mean one thing.

It had only been an hour or two since he'd last seen her, but Aang couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face from ear to ear as he tore himself from the window to thunder down the apartment stairs and fling open the door, running out into the rain without a care in the world about getting wet. Right now, all he saw was Katara. She squinted at him.

"Aang? Is everything-?" She started to say, but then Aang had sprinted towards her and closed the distance between them, colliding with her in a passionate embrace as he lifted her off of her feet and spun her around and around in circles. She shrieked and dropped her umbrella into a puddle in surprise, at first wondering what was so urgent that Aang felt he had to carry her away, but upon seeing his elated smile, burst into laughter as the rain soaked the both of them. Around and around he twirled her until the world around her became a blur of gray and yellow from Aang's robe. She looped her arms around his neck, cupping his face and sealing her lips against his when he finally came to a halt, still holding her. He tasted of the rain, of water and sky, of Aang, of them. In that moment, all of her worries, or the few that were left, seemed to dissolve into the puddles around them, leaving her with only the euphoria of being with Aang, the brave, kind, loving airbender that had stolen her heart.

After a long kiss, he finally lowered her back to the ground, grinning at her with the same boundless joy he'd greeted her with. She laughed.

"What was all that for?" She asked. Aang shrugged.

"Seeing you just makes me happy is all." he answered simply. Katara returned his smile, lacing her fingers with his. The streets were completely empty, all of the residents of the town having chosen to stay inside for the day.

"Yeah, you make me happy too." She told him, but instead of walking back into their apartment, she tugged him between it and the building next to it, backing him against the wall as the rain continued to soak them and before he could ask what she was doing, she had pressed her lips to his again, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around him, gently fingering the arrow on the back of his neck. For a moment he seemed frozen, but then he reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her tightly. When they parted, Aang leaned his forehead against hers, breathing heavily but still smiling.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." He breathed. She giggled, kissing his cheek.

"Mm. It does feel good." She agreed. And it did. She felt like she was flying. She was about as close to Aang as she could physically get and she only wanted to be closer and stay that way forever. She looked up to meet his eyes and her breath stilled at the sheer emotion that shone from their depths. He brushed his nose affectionately against hers and threaded his fingers through her damp hair, his hands shaking slightly against her temple as though he could scarcely believe she was actually there. The gesture prompted a familiar string of words to come to her lips, but this time instead of swallowing them, she looked straight at him and said them.

"I love you, Aang." The words brought her a warm, tingling sensation that was only magnified at Aang's reaction. He beamed before kissing her again, leaving them both blushing despite the cool rain. Then, he closed his eyes and tilted his head up towards the heavens, silently thanking the spirits for this perfect moment. Those words meant more to him than any that had been spoken to him before, and he hoped to never forget them, the exact way they'd sounded on her lips. He'd been fantasizing about them for as long as he'd known her, but none of the fantasies came close to capturing the way it actually felt to hear them aloud, just for him.

"I love you too, Katara." He smiled. "So, so much." It was impossible at that point to separate the rain from the happy tears on the faces of both young lovers, but neither of them cared. All that mattered now was that they were together, safe, and in love.


	70. Kataang Week Day 5: Lucky

**A/N: Day 5!**

* * *

Katara had never been particularly self-conscious. For one, she didn't spend half as much time fretting over her appearance as one might expect a teenage girl to, and even when she did spend a little extra time making herself look nice, she found herself satisfied with her appearance. Besides, she wasn't trying to impress anyone, not really anyways, she told herself. There had been no point in worrying about buying expensive clothes and makeup and hair ornaments when they were constantly camping and sparring and running from firebenders. Not that that was the case anymore, but old habits died hard. The waterbender thought nothing of her casual state of dress and lack of make up when she went to the upper ring of Ba Sing Se one morning for a stroll. She and Aang were here to visit Iroh, the construction of Republic City having just been completed, giving them some much needed time off.

Katara had just gotten in line to buy a couple a moon peach as a treat for Momo when two girls appeared beside her, obviously residents of the area judging from their elaborate hairstyles and fine clothing. Katara was reminded instantly of the girls that had made fun of Toph several years ago on their very first trip to the earth kingdom capital, but said nothing. At least, not until one of them spoke to her.

"You're not from around here are you?" One of them laughed and her friend snickered along. Katara's brows knitted together in confusion. What was funny about her being Water Tribe? She knew, everyone did, that people from all around the world came to Ba Sing Se.

"Of course she's not. Do you see what she's wearing? And her hair?" The other replied. Try as she might to ignore the comments, Katara couldn't help the flush that spread across her cheeks.

"You're obviously lost. The lower ring is miles away." Katara at last turned around.

"I know where I am." She said firmly, eyes flashing. She hadn't expected to make friends with those girls, but she hadn't expected to be attacked for no reason, either. She'd done nothing to offend them. Why did they feel they had reason to speak to her this way?

"Yes." One of the girls agreed. "But just not where you belong. Also, a word of advice, that blue sack isn't what you want to wear if you're trying to hide the fact that you're not very pretty. If one weren't careful, they could mistake you for a man. I would also suggest you go for some more make up to help with that problem…unless of course, you're too poor to afford any. I doubt they'd let a hopeless cause like you in anyways." She scoffed. Her friend giggled, and as quickly as they'd come, the two girls turned on their heels and left. Katara turned back to the line, though her eyes stung as she paid for her food.

* * *

The waterbender was both relieved and disappointed when she returned to the apartment to find that Aang was away. She went straight to her room, took off the "ugly blue sack" dress and threw it into a corner, and then sunk down onto her bed, doing her best to avoid looking in the mirror on the opposite side of the room. Pulling her knees to her chest, she wished now with all her heart that she was back in the beginnings of Republic City, or the South Pole, anywhere but here. Her lip quivered slightly, but she refused to allow herself to cry. No, that would be equivalent to admitting that those girls had successfully gotten to her. What did it matter what those snobs thought anyways? Why did it hurt so much? _They could be right._ A nagging voice in the back of her mind whispered. _When was the last time someone said you were pretty? _ She knew Aang said it all the time, but Aang was so kindhearted that even if she looked more like a saber toothed moose lion than a girl he wouldn't tell her so. And come to think of it, the first time he'd called her beautiful to her face, she'd been dressed up and made up just like those girls. The realization hit her like a punch in the gut. What if they were right? _At least you know Aang loves you for your personality. _She thought darkly. _It doesn't matter how you look anyways._ She tried to tell herself, but no amount of reasoning with herself seemed to help now. The girls' comments played over and over again in her mind. They were complete strangers, so why did it hurt so much? Furthermore, considering they were strangers, what reason would they have to lie to her if she really was beautiful, or even just decent looking? She squeezed her eyes shut and gave a shuddering exhale, willing herself not to cry. _I'm ugly. What if Aang finally sees it and leaves? _ The nagging voice spoke again and she shook her head. _Aang wouldn't do that. And if he did, then he's not the person you thought he was._

_You can tell yourself that, but you know you're crazy for him and it'll hurt so much when he leaves you for-_

"Katara?" A different voice, a real one this time, broke through her inner monologue and when her eyes snapped open, she jumped upon seeing none other than Aang himself standing in her doorway, peering cautiously in at her.

"Aang!" She exclaimed. He quirked an eyebrow at her and then without warning, shut the door behind him and sat down, wrapping his arms around her from behind so that her back was against his chest. She couldn't help but relax slightly into his grasp.

"Is everything…okay?" He asked quizzically. She waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm fine." She spoke softly, afraid that her voice would betray her if she spoke too loudly. Why on earth did she feel like crying anyways? The whole situation was ridiculous.

"What happened?" Aang questioned as though he hadn't even heard her. _Nothing. _She told herself to answer, but the words caught in her throat when he nuzzled her affectionately. Then he just sat there quietly, waiting patiently for her, supporting her silently but unconditionally. Her heart gave a tug.

"Do you remember the time we first came to Ba Sing Se and crashed that party Kuei was having for his bear?" She asked suddenly. Aang smiled and nodded.

"How could I forget that? Out of everything we've done, that was one of the strangest." A smile tugged at the corners of Katara's lips as well at the memory.

"Definitely." She agreed. Aang cocked his head to the side.

"So, what about it?" He wondered. Katara slumped forwards again, frowning.

"That was the first time you told me I looked beautiful." She began. Aang grinned.

"Oh yeah! You both looked great." He said enthusiastically. To his surprise though, this seemed to only sadden Katara. "What's wrong?" He prompted again. Katara bit her lip.

"You'll think it's stupid." She answered quietly and though Aang wished he could take back the words, it was too late. Her eyes had filled with tears, her jaw quivering.

"I went out this morning and I ran into these really dressed up girls. They said I didn't belong here and I don't know how to dress and I'm ugly without make up and…" She paused, still trying to take deep breaths. "I don't know Aang, I know it shouldn't matter what they say, but they didn't even know me. Why would they have said it if it weren't true? I just…" She scrubbed at her eyes, though she knew it was too late to hide the fact that she was crying from Aang. Gently, he turned her around to face him, tugging into a much welcome hug. She rested her head against his chest, sagging into the embrace and allowing her tears to soak into his shirt. He pressed a kiss to her temple before speaking.

"Sweetie, you know that's not true. I called you beautiful that time you and Toph were dressed up because you were, but I've said that so many times since then I can't even keep track. Those girls don't know what they're talking about." Katara bit her lip. She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her before she could speak. "You know what I think?" He asked. Katara shook her head. "I think those girls are just jealous." At this, Katara laughed dryly.

"Aang, that's impossible. Even if they were wrong about the way I look, they were gorgeous. There's no way they'd be jealous of me." Aang only shook his head, a familiar twinkle appearing in his eye that made Katara begin to smile in spite of herself.

"Come _on _Katara." He groaned playfully. "Look at you. You don't even need make up to be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. They're probably jealous because they don't know how to go out and be confident without it, and you do it almost every day. Don't let two snobs who don't know what they're talking about ruin that." Katara blushed, smiling timidly at the ground.

"Aang…" She began, but he stopped her again.

"Nope." He grinned. "Listen, every time I see you it's like…like a new beginning. I can't even describe it. Even when it feels like things can't get any worse, seeing you makes me feel better. I always listened to you when you told me not to let what people said get to me, so now I want you to listen to me. You're the most wonderful girl I've ever met and if other people can't see that, it's their problem. I mean that. Every time I look at you I feel like I could collapse but all I want to do is kiss you. Before I knew what was happening to me, it was scary. I thought something was really wrong with me when I got dizzy after you kissed me on the cheek the first time." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. At last, Katara laughed, reaching up to cup her beloved's face.

"Oh Aang…" She shook her head. "You're…just…" She couldn't find the words "just don't ever change." She said instead. Aang chuckled.

"I don't plan on it." Katara leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling his lips brush against her ear, and smiled as they ghosted over her neck, blowing soft puffs of air onto her skin and causing her to squirm. She giggled as he placed a series of nibbling kisses along her throat, his breath warm on her bare flesh. She moved to return the favor, kissing the side of his face and pausing at his ear. She heard his breath still.

"I love you." She murmured, nuzzling him gently, affectionately and feeling him smile before silently laying them both down, fingers trailing down onto her bare waist and lovingly fingering the skin there.

"I love you too." He murmured. "So much that I think I may just want to spend the rest of my day right here with you, if you don't mind, of course." Katara blushed, knowing exactly what he was referring to. When neither of them were busy, their days were often spent together in private just like this, kissing and touching and whispering sweet things into each other's ears. And today, nothing sounded better to Katara.

"Not at all, Sweetie." She agreed, and as she looked at Aang, a particularly delicious thought came to her. The other girls could've had all the makeup and fine clothing in the world, but none of that would ever be able to even compare to having someone like Aang in her life. He laughed at what she guessed must've been a smug expression on her face.

"Why are you smiling like that?" He wondered. Katara laced her fingers with his.

"Just thinking maybe you were right about those girls being jealous. Having you does sort of make me the luckiest girl in the world." Aang only grinned.

"Does that mean I can kiss you?" He asked, eyes sparkling mischievously. Katara returned the smile, touching her nose to his, their lips only centimeters apart.

"That's exactly what it means."


	71. Kataang Week Day 6: A New Enemy

**A/N: Day 6! So sad it's almost over :(. But it's been a blast. **

* * *

Aang could hardly believe his ears when Li-Min, a young woman living in the now up and running Republic City, testified before him and the city council about what had happened to her several nights ago. She stood before him now that the rest of the council room had emptied, still appearing intimidated and frightened. Aang could tell by one look at her that she didn't want to be left alone. She was a small, wispy looking nonbender, living at home with her aging parents and looking after three younger siblings.

"It was like he was reaching inside me." She tried to describe the experience, a tremor running through her whole body as she relived it. "I couldn't do anything to break free and I thought I was going to die, but then he just left." Tears came to her eyes and Aang was moved by a sense of both compassion for the poor girl and dread for what this could mean for the rest of Republic City. Things had finally seemed to be falling into place once and for all, and now this had to come up. True, it was just a short series of isolated incidents so far, but who knew what that could lead to? His gut told him that this would not in fact, end quietly on its own and the thought frightened him This particular attack hadn't even been under the full moon, and yet, there was no doubt in his mind as to exactly what had happened. Republic City was home to a bloodbender, or several. There was no way of knowing whether the attacks in the past couple weeks had been caused by a single individual or a group of them. Nonbenders and benders alike were completely defenseless against the technique, leaving the city, the world, at the mercy of a few cruel individuals if said individuals so desired it to be that way in the future. He couldn't let his fear show to Li-Min, though, instead putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Lock your doors at night and don't go stay out too late." He instructed. "But don't be scared, we'll catch him." And Aang fully intended to. The world was finally at some kind of peace and he wasn't about to let anyone shatter it. Not if he could help it. Li-Min nodded and hesitantly left the room, where a trained chi blocker waited to escort her back to her home. After a minute of standing in the chamber alone, thinking hard about the situation, he extinguished the lights that illuminated the room and left as well, taking Appa to return to his home on Air Temple Island.

* * *

When he arrived, he entered his home quietly only to walk out the back, leaning against one of the balconies and looking out over the bay. He was only twenty, the war having only ended seven years ago, and here he was, in the middle of what promised to be another dangerous conflict. Only this time, it was different. Now the threat was mysterious, there was no way of telling where, when, or how the next attack would come, unlike when they'd been chased by the Fire Nation. And now, he had to look out for all of Republic City, he couldn't simply concentrate his efforts on protecting Katara, which was perhaps what made him most uncomfortable about the whole situation. They'd been married only a year ago, and had been planning on having children. Really, Katara could become pregnant at any time now (in fact, Aang was rather surprised that she wasn't yet), but the thought of his child growing up in danger made him feel slightly sick to his stomach. He hadn't had the heart to tell Katara about what had been going on, either. She was so happy…he couldn't ruin that for her. But he was beginning to think he'd have to for her own safety. He sighed, burying his face in his hands. How could things go from so great to so terrible in just a month? He couldn't endanger his wife, couldn't keep her around while she might be at risk…

"What am I doing?" He groaned to himself.

"Good question." A familiar voice spoke form behind him and he jumped. He certainly hadn't been expecting a reply, but sure enough, there was Katara, clad in only her undergarments, standing right behind him.

"Katara!" He exclaimed. "I thought you were asleep!" She frowned softly, coming to stand next to him.

"I was waiting for you. Actually, the longer I'm married to you, the harder it gets to fall asleep without you." Aang gave her a tired smile, though the words caused a stabbing feeling of guilt in his chest.

"Sorry." He replied. "It's just been a long day." Katara rested a hand on his back.

"I know." She answered. Aang's head jerked up.

"Y-you do?" Katara nodded.

"Aang, when were you planning on telling me that there were bloodbenders in the city?" Her husband's shoulders slumped in defeat. This was not good.

"What? Who told you?"

"I knew something was up with you, so I asked Toph. Did you honestly think you could just sweep it under the rug, Aang? How long were you going to keep this from me?" Aang fixed her with a pleading look, knowing he'd been caught red handed.

"I don't know…" He sighed honestly. "It's just…things finally seemed to be going right and I didn't want to break the news to you, especially with what happened with you and Hama. I did't want to upset you." Katara gave him an incredulous stare.

"But Aang, that's ridiculous! Look, if there's danger I want to know about it first, not wait till it finds us." She paused. "I'm your wife." She said, sounding hurt. "You're supposed to tell me about these things." To her surprise, Aang's jaw quivered slightly and he slid down one of the balcony's rails, drawing in a shaky breath. Suddenly, he could have been twelve years old again, he looked so lost and scared.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I wasn't ever going to let you get hurt. It's just...I don't even want to admit this is happening, Katara. I know I have to, and I am, it's just…things were going so well and now I don't even know if you can stay…" Katara's features softened and she sat down next to him, tentatively placing a hand on his knee.

"What are you talking about?" She asked quietly. Aang met her eyes, his own filling with tears.

"I can't keep you here if things get bad, Katara. I've already lost my people and there's no way I'm losing you too. And I know we wanted to have kids but I don't know how that's gonna work if we're constantly fearing for their lives. I can't-" Katara interrupted him, moving her hand from his knee to his face and tilting it towards her.

"Aang." She said gently, but firmly. "For better or for worse, remember? Besides, you can't just assume that our children's lives will be in danger. They haven't even been born yet. If things get dangerous, we can send them to live with Gran Gran or something. But there's no point in assuming all that will even happen before it does." Aang hung his head.

"I know." He said softly. "I just…when I married you, all I could think about was how happy I was to be with you and have you loving me back and getting to hold you every night and I finally felt like I didn't have to worry anymore. And then this started happening." He sucked in a breath, suddenly angry. "I thought for just a second that maybe things would change, that people would finally settle down and let the world heal. But I was wrong. I didn't even think about what kind of danger being the avatar's wife would put you in and now look at this mess! If whoever's behind this gets more powerful they might come after you and it'll be all my fault. All I've ever wanted was to make you safe and happy but I'm putting you in danger just by loving you. You don't deserve that. You deserve someone who can give you a safe place to stay where you can have a family and always know things will be okay." He paused. "I guess I just realized…I can't ever give you what you should have, no matter how badly I want to." He cut his eyes away from hers, trying to hide the fact that he was falling apart at the seams. He couldn't bear the thought of her having a family with someone else, but it was easier to stomach then the idea of her and their future children being chased or attacked. She however, only fastened her arms around him and pulled him close like she had when they were younger, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere." She murmured. "You can't make me, and nor can anyone else. I don't _want _anyone else. I didn't marry you because I thought it would be easy, Aang. I married you because I love you and we've always overcome our obstacles before. I'm not about to quit now. I'm going to be here with you every step of the way just like always and nothing will change that." In response, Aang squeezed her tightly.

"I won't be able to change your mind, will I?" He asked. Katara shook her head.

"Not a chance." She confirmed, pulling back slightly to place a kiss on her husband's lips. "So stop thinking about it. We'll figure this bloodbending thing out together eventually. I don't want you to just get rid of me." Aang grimaced at her word choice.

"Katara, the last thing I want is to get rid of you. You're my whole world. I mean…I've never loved anything as much as much as I love you. You're the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me." Katara smiled, a blush rising to her cheeks despite the fact that they'd gone much further than this in their displays of love for each other.

"Same. So let's do each other a favor and not talk about separating again, okay?" She asked. Aang nodded.

"Okay. I guess I can give it a rest for now." He agreed, at last giving her a weary smile in return before he stood, brushing himself off and offering her a hand to help her up as well. She took it, leaning against him as he slung an arm around her shoulders, steering them back inside.

"I still want kids too, by the way." She murmured to him in a familiar, silky voice when they made their ways back to the room they shared. Aang couldn't help but laugh, framing her face in his hands as they fell together onto their bed. He playfully quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Well." He said, his voice low and inviting. "No time like the present, right?" Katara's only answer was to seal her lips against his, allowing the darkness of the night to cloak their naked bodies as they made love to each other and for a few precious hours, they were flying far above the rest of the world.


	72. Kataang Week Day 7: My Hero

**A/N: Last day of Kataang Week :(. It was a lovely time though. In fact, this was the best week I've had in ages. I got a pay raise at work, met my favorite bands, and challenged myself to write more Kataang than I thought was possible. So, now that I've proven myself that it is possible to write these despite working from 9-5, I hope to be more regular for the rest of summer and back to school. I hope you all have enjoyed your week and that this was a nice little kataangy journey for you. Here's the last one!**

* * *

Aang crept as quietly as he could to the room he shared with Katara and their new baby, not wanting to wake either of them lest they finally be sleeping. Kya was barely a month old and it would be a good time yet before she slept through the night. He inched the door open, finding Katara sitting in her favorite chair by the window, Kya snuggled in her arms. Sometimes Katara, exhausted by the demands of her life as a new mother, would fall asleep in that very chair, but not tonight. Aang could tell by her upright posture and the way she her face was pointed pensively at the window that she was indeed awake.

"Hey Sweetie." He murmured, making his way towards her. She looked up at him and smiled tiredly.

"Hey Aang." She answered, moving to rise from her chair to make her way to their bed. Aang followed. They were silent for a moment, taking the time to simply admire their beautiful baby daughter. Before her birth, Aang had thought it impossible to care for anything or anyone as much as he did for Katara, but Kya's coming into the world had proven him wrong. He loved the little girl with all of his heart and soul, this little piece of both him and his wife, a product of their love but something all her own at the same time. It was incredible and he couldn't help but be thankful for the storm that had trapped him in an iceberg over one hundred years ago. Had he stayed at the air temple, he doubted he would've ever had the chance to become a father, something which he now knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't trade for the world.

Wrapping an arm around Katara's shoulders, he felt her lean into him, and she closed her eyes with a sigh.

"What's on your mind?" He asked gently. Clearly, his wife was not at peace with herself and he wanted to know why. He hoped the stress of being a new mother wasn't overwhelming her, though he wouldn't blame her if that were the case. Caring for an infant was a lot of work, after all. She looked up at him, the softness of her hair tickling his neck as she moved.

"I think I've realized something." She murmured, her thumb gently caressing the baby's cheek. She looked slightly nervous, and Aang gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah?" He questioned, hoping against hope that this wasn't bad news. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something was wrong with his wife or their child.

"This…having a kid and all, it's going to be a full time thing for one of us, Aang. It always is. And you're the avatar, so you can't be here all day and night. And I don't want to just hand her off to Gran or someone else. I want to be here as she grows up. I don't want her to grow up like I did, always having to worry about doing everything herself because we aren't around. I want to stay home with her now, Aang." She bit her lip, looking expectantly at Aang. She wasn't exactly sure how he would react. They'd both known that becoming parents would involve sacrifice, but they hadn't worked out all the specifics while she'd been pregnant. In hindsight, this would seem to be the obvious result of their circumstances. Katara couldn't follow Aang all around the globe with a newborn baby on her hip, especially if they were to have more children later, which they fully intended to. But somehow, it hadn't quite come up, leaving Katara feeling slightly apprehensive as to how Aang would react to her choice. He nodded.

"I know, Sweetie. And I think you're absolutely right." He admitted. Katara gave him a look of mild surprise.

"You do? But what about us travelling the world when you have to leave and me helping you with all this diplomatic stuff when you need it? I don't want to just abandon you to all of that, Aang. I want to be a full time mom to Kya, but…" She sighed. "I guess I just feel bad because I feel like I have to abandon you in order to do that. I've been running around after you trying to protect you and make sure you aren't too overwhelmed for so long it's just…hard to let go of without feeling guilty. I didn't want you to think I'm turning my back on you." She confessed shakily. Gently, Aang reached out a hand to cover the one she was using to cradle Kya.

"Katara." He said seriously. "You're not abandoning me by being a dedicated mother. And if it came down to it, I'd rather you choose her over me. I know it's a change, but I think you're making the right choice. Our child needs you and that's what's important now. Besides, I'm a big boy now, I can protect myself." He smirked slightly, causing Katara to giggle and nudge him playfully in the ribs.

"Oh, are you now?" She questioned, rolling her eyes. Aang gave her a look of mock hurt, pouting slightly.

"I am." He insisted. They both laughed before Aang returned to seriousness.

"Really though, Katara. I'll be fine, I promise. I'll do my absolute best to always come back to you guys. And it's not an all or nothing deal, either. I'll spend every moment I possibly can here with you two. My duty as a father is just as important to me as my duty as the Avatar and I'm not leaving you to raise her all alone. We've always been a great team before, so I don't see why that'll change now that we have a kid." At this, Aang noticed his wife's features relaxing, her shoulders slumping in relief. She smiled as he brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes, tucking it affectionately behind her ear and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You don't think I'm being irresponsible or neglecting the world by stepping back from all this diplomatic stuff then?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Anyone who faults you for wanting to be a parent full time doesn't know what they're talking about. Being a mom is one of the most important jobs in the world, or at least that's what I think. I think it's the most selfless thing anyone can do and that's what I've always admired about you, Katara." He paused, giving her a radiant smile. "You're my hero." Katara blushed at the compliment, but inside, she was practically glowing.

"Thanks, Aang." She murmured, giving him a tired smile. "You have no idea how much that means to me..." Aang only returned the smile, leaning his head against hers.

"You don't have to thank me. I do this because I want to, Katara. I love you both, so, so much." Katara reached up, kissing her husband's lips.

"We love you too." She yawned, Kya having already drifted to sleep in her arms. Aang laughed.

"I'm glad. Now, get some sleep, I can tell you're exhausted." Katara didn't need to be told twice. Carefully, she passed Kya into her father's arms and he placed her oh so delicately into her cradle right by their bedside, using excruciating caution so as not to wake her. Ever so gently, Aang kissed his daughter's downy cheek before turning back to his wife, pulling her into his arms and feeling her rest her head comfortably on his chest, her eyes fluttering shut. In a matter of minutes, her soft breathing evened out, indicating that she had fallen asleep. Smiling to himself and feeling entirely, blissfully at peace, Aang followed soon after.


	73. Unconditional

**A/N: Yay new chapter :). I've been spending a lot of time on KF lately and that's sort of re-motivated me avatar-wise. Hoping to stay that way! Also: VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm thinking once I reach 100 chapters I'll mark this as complete and make a new oneshot series. It'll pretty much be the same thing, but I feel like to new readers, 100+ chapters looks intimidating and since I'm older now, I feel like a lot of these new oneshots don't really have a lot in common with the ones at the beginning of the story. I'm not sure about it though, because that would start the whole following/faving process all over again which is kind of an ordeal for everyone involved. Just a thought. Hm. Feel free to give input if you have any, because this decision *is* mainly about you after all. Anyhow, happy readings! **

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To both of his parents' concern, Bumi was nowhere to be found at dinner that evening. The ten year old had been missing ever since he'd come home from school that afternoon. They'd checked his room, and almost every room in their home on Air Temple Island in fact. Aang sighed, his brows knitting together in worry. Kya and little Tenzin were getting hungry, but they couldn't very well sit down to eat when they had no idea where the second eldest of their children was.

"Moooomm." Kya moaned. "We're starving! Can't we find Bumi later?" Aang gave her a look and she fell silent. He then turned to Katara.

"You guys go ahead and eat, I'll look for Bumi outside and around the city if I have to." He announced, moving to the door. Katara however, bit her lip, putting a hand on his arm to stop him in his tracks.

"No, you sit down and eat. You've been out all day long. I'll find Bumi." She insisted.

"Are you sure?" Aang asked. Katara had been the one to make dinner after all, and it didn't seem fair to him that she miss it. She only nodded, however, giving her husband a reassuring smile.

"He can't be far. We'll come back soon, I promise."

"Okay." Aang agreed reluctantly, brushing a kiss over her lips and wrapping one of his cloaks around her shoulders, returning the smile.

"Stay warm. I'll save you two some food." Katara nodded before opening the door and heading out into the chilly autumn evening.

"Bumi!" She called her son's name as soon as she was out, not expecting a response but hoping for one nonetheless. Bumi wasn't normally the reclusive type, so she hadn't the faintest idea of where he could be if he were trying to hide. "Sweetie, come out, it's dinner time!" When the only answer she received was the faint whistling of the breeze off of the bay against her ears, she sighed, beginning to walk the premises of the island. She circled the entire piece of land, searching thoroughly, shoulders slumping when she was met with no luck. If Bumi wasn't here, she knew he had to be in the city. She gulped at the thought. It wasn't that her ten year old son was stupid, quite the opposite in fact, but he was nonetheless a ten year old boy who should not be out in the big city without his parents as night closed in.

Resigning herself to what could end up being a night of searching, Katara headed to the bison stables to prepare Appa for a flight around Republic City, calling Bumi's name several more times as she went, hoping that he would show himself. Appa grunted at her when she approached his stable. It was a large wooden structure in the middle of a meadow that the small herd of bison stayed in. Appa didn't need to be fenced in, so it was open, allowing him and his new friends to wander the island and the airspace around it as they pleased.

"Hey Appa." She greeted, touching his nose. "We need to take a little trip. Bumi's missing." She was about to climb onto his back when she heard a small, stifled sound from the bison's other side. She fell silent, walking around Appa to find none other than Bumi himself curled against Appa's shaggy side, shoulders shaking slightly. A winded feeling of relief overtook her. Her son was safe, right here, unharmed. But he certainly wasn't happy.

"Bumi, sweetie?" She asked softly, cautiously kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his back. He turned away from her, trying to hide the fact that he was crying from his mother.

"What?" He asked thickly. Katara frowned, taking off the cloak Aang had given her to drape over Bumi's shoulders. She had a million questions for him, why he hadn't answered her call, why he was missing dinner (one of his favorite parts of the day, usually), why he was out here in the first place, but she settled on the most simple one. She didn't want him to fear punishment when there was obviously something upsetting him.

"What's wrong?" She questioned tenderly. Bumi hid his face in the cloak.

"Nothing." He growled. "Leave me alone, mom." Katara didn't budge however, stubbornly maintaining her position.

"I know you better than that." She remarked calmly, though her heart ached at seeing her son so distraught. "Now what is it? Did something happen at school?" Bumi seemed to consider this for a moment, debating whether or not to answer his nagging mother.

"You wouldn't understand." He said softly, gray eyes boring holes into the straw covered ground.

"Try me." Katara replied simply. Realizing with a heavy sigh of resignation (that would have been comical had Katara not been genuinely concerned about her son), that his mother was not leaving any time soon, Bumi turned towards her and began to speak.

"This sucks." He said angrily. "Now that Tenzin's an airbender I'm the only one in the whole family who isn't special. You spend a lot of time training Kya and now Dad's gonna spend all his time with Tenzin because he isn't the last airbender anymore and you're both gonna forget about me because I can't do anything! I tried so hard but I just can't do it. It isn't fair. And Yuko's an earthbender and now she'll never-" He stopped suddenly, though his chest was heaving when he finished, his rant followed with a frustrated sob. He kicked at the straw, and Katara felt her heart break for him. She'd had a notion that this would happen someday, but nevertheless she'd hoped it wouldn't. She and Aang tried their hardest to show their children that they loved them equally regardless of bending ability and while Aang was undeniably happy that Tenzin was an airbender, he was no less fond of Bumi because of it.

"Oh Bumi…" She sighed. "Dad and I don't love you any less for being a nonbender, you know that. You're no less special than your brother or sister." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know hearing that from me probably doesn't help very much, but it's true. And you know, your uncle Sokka used to feel the same way when we were kids, but we would've never managed without him." Bumi frowned, brushing at the tears on his face.

"That's different." He said softly.

"How is it different?" Katara prompted.

"Because he's well…he's Uncle Sokka! He's really funny and smart and all that. Everyone loves him. But no one's gonna love me because my whole family can bend and I can't! I can't do anything!" He exclaimed in despair, tensing in anger. His eyes shone with a longing, pained look that Katara yearned to take away.

"Uncle Sokka used to say the same things." She told him gently. "And you can do things, Bumi. You make us all laugh and you're smart and we all love you." Bumi leaned his head back against Appa.

"Fine." He sighed. "Maybe you and Dad think so, but that's not everyone else. Everyone knows I'm the avatar's kid and they expect me to be able to do cool tricks at school and all that. But since I can't, everyone thinks I'm a loser." Saying the words aloud seemed to pain him deeply, as he hurriedly turned his head away again, determined to hide the tears that had sprung afresh to his eyes.

"I doubt that." Katara murmured. "I've seen you bring home friends. Does this have to do with that Yuko girl you were talking about?" She watched with a mix of sympathy and amusement as a blush crept up her son's face.

"She'll never notice me." He mumbled dejectedly, so softly that Katara could barely hear him.

"Bumi." She laughed. "You're only ten. You don't even need to worry about that stuff yet." Her son scowled.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" He groaned in frustration. "I said _never_! Not even when I'm eighty bajillion years old!" He threw his hands into the air for emphasis. Katara couldn't help but laugh, causing Bumi to send her another sour look.

"It's not funny, mom!" He exclaimed. Katara wiped her eyes, still chuckling slightly.

"No, no, I guess it isn't…" She attempted to apologize, recalling how absolutely un-funny she'd thought her situation with Aang was when she'd still been attempting to sort out her feelings for him. "But it's not true, either." She assured. Bumi blinked at her, obviously not willing to take her word for it.

"Of course it's true." He grumbled miserably. "Didn't you hear me? She's an earthbender. That's like, the coolest element. She'll never like me. I mean, you always say you couldn't love anyone like you love Dad, and he's the Avatar. I can't do anything he can and I'll never impress Yuko." Katara looked at her son seriously.

"Bumi, I didn't fall in love with Dad because he's the Avatar. I don't love him now because he's the Avatar. I love him because he's sweet and caring and brave…he's a wonderful man. And you will be too. You're already a wonderful son." She assured. Bumi looked up with tentative hopefulness.

"Really? You mean you'd still think Dad was cool even if he couldn't do all his cool Avatar stuff?" He asked. Katara chuckled.

"Wouldn't you?" She questioned. "And would you think Yuko was uncool if she weren't an earthbender?" Bumi's eyes widened in realization and Katara smiled to herself.

"No." he said softly. "I wouldn't." His eyes flickered up to her again, traces of doubt still evident in his expression. "But how do I know if she would?"

"You can't until you let her know how you feel I suppose." Katara told him. "But, if she did then you know you could do better anyways. You don't want to be with someone who can't see and appreciate the best parts of you. There were some times when I was afraid that Dad wouldn't think much of me because I'm just one waterbender from the South Pole and he's the Avatar, but he never held that against me. He loved me for who I am. And that's what's most important." At this, Bumi's expression changed from one of despair to one of thoughtfulness. Then, he nodded, sighing.

"I guess that makes sense." He murmured. "Thanks, Mom." Katara smiled.

"You're welcome, Bumi. Remember, your Dad and I went through a lot of the same things you did, so you can always ask us for help if you need it." Bumi snorted a laugh.

"I think Tenzin will need it more. He'll be freaking out if he doesn't think he knows the meaning of life by the time he's seven." Katara knew she probably should've scolded her son for the teasing remark, but she couldn't help but laugh as well. Tenzin was in fact, already posing quite philosophical questions at the tender age of five, much unlike his two older siblings.

"Alright smarty-pants, let's get back to the house. Dad's probably getting worried." She chastised mildly, getting to her feet and brushing the straw off of both her and Bumi's clothing. Bumi grinned.

"Alright, alright." He agreed, following his mother as she left the stable to head back to the temple.

* * *

Aang didn't ask what Katara and Bumi had discussed in the time they'd been gone until he climbed into bed beside his wife that night, not wanting to bring up a potentially sensitive topic in front of the other children.

"So." He said, wrapping an arm around Katara's waist and tucking her close to him. "What was up with Bumi earlier?" Katara laughed.

"You've been dying to know all evening haven't you?" She questioned. Aang grinned sheepishly.

"You caught me. That kid's never quite or solitary or anything, so I yeah, I'm curious." Katara nodded, resting her head against his shoulder.

"He was upset about not being a bender because he was afraid this girl at school would never notice him." Aang chuckled.

"How could you _not_ notice him? That kid has more energy than Sokka after he had that cactus juice." Both parents shared a good laugh at that. It was true. Bumi was almost always bouncing off the walls.

"I told him that if she can't see he's special, she's not worth his time anyways. And that well…I fell in love with you because you're you, not because you're a great bender." She said sincerely, her leg brushing up against his under the covers. Aang pulled her close, nuzzling a kiss just under her ear.

"And that's why I'm the luckiest man in the world." He breathed. Katara smiled against his skin, closing her eyes contentedly.

"And I'm the luckiest woman."


	74. Reunion

**A/N: Okay. So, I read the end of DJNS' Tales of Republic City even though I told myself I wouldn't and it made me so sad. So, it inspired me to write a happy ending for Aang and Katara. And then I felt a lot better! I hope this similarly brightens your moods about the whole Aang situation. This isn't my last fic or anything by any means, just to be clear. **

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Katara hadn't seen her husband in nearly twenty years. After he'd been taken from her at the entirely too young age of sixty six, she could've sworn that the sheer pain of losing him would kill her as well and yet it was only now, nearly two decades later, that she could feel her life slipping away from her. As she lay there, her daughter and grandchildren in the next room, she marveled that she'd made it so long. Certainly, she'd enjoyed watching her grandchildren and the young avatar Korra grow, she'd grown to love the girl as her own; but life without Aang had left her feeling hollow inside. At first, she'd barely been able to get through a single day without spending most of it sobbing brokenly into her hands, bent over a table or the bed they used to share. She vaguely recalled yelling, pleading to the spirits to bring her husband back to no response. She had previously believed she would never hurt as badly as she did the day of her mother's death, but Aang's had proven her wrong. She couldn't speak, couldn't stand, couldn't even breathe. The fact that her best friend, her first and only love, the father of her children, was simply not there anymore, gone forever, had seemed too excruciatingly painful to possibly be real.

And yet, she'd survived this long and could only now feel her strength draining out of her. Her energy had been fading for months so knowing that she was on death's door didn't surprise her, but it was an odd feeling nonetheless. She didn't know where she'd end up, whether ordinary people were separated from thousand year old, all powerful spirits like the avatar, what dying felt like. She closed her eyes, recalling the way Aang would always be there to reassure her when he was still alive. She couldn't believe it had been twenty years….Her last thoughts as she drifted to sleep that night were of Aang and all of their memories together, of their three beautiful children and children's children. The last twenty years had certainly been hard, but Katara knew that her life had nonetheless been worth it. She felt her body drifting away from her. It was an unfamiliar, almost surreal sensation, and when she opened her eyes again she was not in her bed in the South Pole.

The aches and pains of age were gone from her body when Katara pushed herself to her feet on the banks of a seemingly impossible clear blue river. With a gasp, she noticed that her hands were no longer gray and wrinkled, but their youthful brown and smooth. Her reflection in the water showed her face to be a good fifty years younger than she remembered it, and she felt much, much lighter.

"Long time, no see." Once when Katara was younger, Gran Gran had told her that each time you remembered something, you remembered the memory in place of the actual event, making it harder and harder to recall accurately. To her dismay, Katara had noticed that very thing happening when she attempted to hear Aang's voice in her mind after his passing. At least, up until now. No, that particular voice was all too wonderfully familiar to be just a memory. In fact, she nearly jumped out of her skin, a wonderful, electric warmth jetting through her. She closed her eyes, wanting so badly to look and see who she knew the voice belonged to, but at the same time afraid that if she did she would be disappointed and find herself back in the South Pole. There had been all too many dreams like this…but none of them had felt quite so real. Still, she braced herself as she cracked her eyes open and spun around. There, grinning at her and looking as handsome as he had fifty years ago, was Aang.

She was certain the entire spirit world heard her cry of delight as she lunged at her husband, thrusting herself into his arms and clinging to him for dear life. And then she was sobbing, crying harder than she'd ever cried while she was alive. His arms were around her, just as warm as she remembered them being, his fingers combing through her hair even as his hands shook, his own tears mingling with hers on her skin.

"Hey, it's okay…" He murmured, though his voice was trembling as much as his hands.

"Oh Aang…" she sobbed. She could barely breathe. "I can't believe you're here…I didn't think…I didn't know if I'd ever see you again…don't ever let me go…don't…" The relief she felt at seeing him, feeling him again was so overpowering that holding onto him, fingers digging desperately into his robes, was all she could find the strength to do. And then he was kissing her, pressing his lips affectionately all over her face, leaving not one inch of skin untouched before tucking his head against hers.

"I missed you more than you'll ever know." He breathed against her ear. "And I won't let you go. I promise. Oh Katara…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you. I never wanted to." Katara laughed despite herself.

"I should be angry at you for that. But I'm too happy." She managed through her tears. Aang pulled back just slightly to hold her at arm's length, gazing at her with unconcealed adoration before a look of concern crossed his features.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "Did it hurt?" Katara shook her head, her vision still blurred with tears.

"I'm fine. I've been waiting to see you Aang, but I didn't know if I ever would…" Her voice broke and her husband brought her close again, allowing them to hold each other tightly.

"I'm sorry." Aang murmured into her hair. "I'm so sorry Katara… I didn't mean to hurt you. I should've told you. I just…I just thought you knew we'd see each other again. I wanted you to enjoy the rest of your life, even if I couldn't be there with you." He admitted sorrowfully, guilt apparent in his voice. Katara only laid her head on his shoulder, relishing in the familiar comfort it brought her to be in his arms. She hadn't felt so secure and comfortable and _right _since the last time he'd held her like this all that time ago.

"I didn't know normal people could be with spirits like the Avatar…I mean, I hoped, but…" She shuddered, clenching her fists in Aang's tunic to make sure once more that he was in fact there, that this wasn't just some wonderful dream. Neither of them had liked talking about death while they were alive. Aang tenderly wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"There's no way I'd ever leave you for good. Even if the spirits did have an issue with it, I'd find a way to get to you. I meant it when I said you were my forever girl after all." He grinned, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. Katara laughed through her tears, feeling her insides melt when she looked into his eyes and he touched his forehead to hers. Then, she kissed him soundly, fulfilling a burning desire in her that had gone unsated for twenty years too long. He kissed back with unbridled enthusiasm, pulling her down with him to lay on the riverbank, finally filling the gaping holes that had formed in their hearts during years of separation.

They kissed for what could have been hours, lying together and becoming entangled in each others limbs as they tried frantically to get as close as possible and then closer still, and somehow, neither could seem to stop crying.

"Aang…" Katara whimpered as his lips attached themselves to her throat. He looked up at her, eyes shining with adoration.

"Mm?" He hummed. And suddenly, her lip was trembling, she couldn't help it.

"I missed you so much." She managed to choke. "And I love you…" The raw sincerity of the words struck Aang in a way he hadn't been able to feel in years and he felt tears welling afresh in his eyes. He'd been trying to keep the rush of emotion it brought him to think about Katara at bay for all this time, but now there was no holding it back.

"I love you more than anything." He replied, his own voice soft and trembling. "Spirits Katara…you have no idea. I just want to hold you forever." In response, Katara buried her tear streaked face into his chest.

"I want to be in your arms forever." She answered. Aang pressed a tender kiss to her temple.

"Good." He murmured. "Because I don't think I could let you go again even if I wanted to." Katara tipped her head up, smiling at Aang, finally feeling content and at peace.

"Mmm." She hummed softly. "In your arms forever…I don't think it gets much better than that." Aang chuckled, leaning in for another kiss.

"I think you're right."


	75. Whatever it Takes

**A/N: Throwback time! Because sometimes I think it's interesting to revisit pre-finale scenarios. Right now I am on Vacation in the beautiful state of North Carolina (OBX) and have all the time in the world to write. I hope to capitalize on this time and write a bunch before school starts so I can have stuff in reserve to post when I get busy. Enjoy! **

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Katara slipped out of her blue dress and into the silk nightgown provided by one of the many Joo Dees that had been assigned to them in Ba Sing Se and sat on her bed, reclining against the pillows and putting her feet up. She untied the string at the base of her braid, combing her fingers through her long mane of hair a few times to loosen it before shaking it out over her shoulders. She had to admit it was nice to have a bed after months of camping, but it wasn't quite enough to make up for their utter lack of freedom so far. Even now, in her room with her door closed, Katara felt as though she was being watched. She couldn't imagine how Aang, whose very existence was defined by freedom, felt about this. She didn't have long to ponder this however, as at that moment, a knock sounded at her door.

"Come in." She called. She wasn't sure who she was expecting, but somehow, Katara was mildly surprised when the door opened, revealing none other than Aang himself. And he looked like the slightest breeze could've knocked him to the ground and shattered him into a million tiny pieces. His knuckles were white where they clutched his glider, clinging to it as though his life depended on it. It was the only thing he had to hold onto from his past now that Appa was missing.

"I didn't find him." He said hollowly. "I looked all day…" He sounded so lost and hopeless that Katara would've given anything right then to bring Appa back, to take away the pain and sadness that plagued her dearest friend.

"Oh Aang…" She murmured, making room in the bed and beckoning to him. "Come here, you need a hug." This time, unlike their interaction in the Serpent's Pass, Aang shut the door behind him and collapsed into Katara's offered embrace, winding his arms around her and squeezing her so tightly that for a minute, she could barely breathe. For a moment, they sat that way, Katara rubbing her friend's back gently, not saying a word. Despite the less than agreeable circumstances, being with Aang this way felt oddly intimate, the way he showed this vulnerable side of himself so rarely, and then only to her. She felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. When they parted, Aang was bravely holding back tears and Katara felt a similar urge upon looking at him, feeling a gut wrenching tug of sympathy when his lip quivered and he blinked his eyes, darting them away from her face. And she couldn't blame him. He'd lost everyone he'd known and Appa had been the only thing keeping him rooted to his past. Now he was lost with nowhere to turn, no leads, no plan, no nothing and the whole world depending on him, ready to crush him if he so much as faltered.

"I don't know what to do." He admitted in a small voice, sounding more helpless than she'd ever heard him. "I have no idea where he could be but I can't leave without him. When I was little, I promised I'd take care of him and that we'd never be apart. And I let him down, just like I let the rest of the world down. And you." He lifted his glistening eyes to her. This time, a noticeable tremor shook his lean frame. Without thinking, Katara reached for his hand to steady him. She knew that Sokka and Toph would've teased her mercifully for the gesture had they seen it, but right now it was just her and Aang, and she knew he needed it. "I can't sleep either." He whispered. Katara frowned.

"Because you don't know where Appa is?" She asked. Aang flinched at the words, and Katara instantly wished she could retract them.

"I'm sorry, Aang." She said hurriedly. "I didn't mean-" But Aang brushed her apology aside.

"It's okay." He sighed. "But yeah. That and…I keep thinking about what happened."

"What are you talking about?" She asked almost incredulously. His and grew clammy in hers.

"In the desert." Aang said so quietly she had to strain to hear him. "When I went into the Avatar state. I could've hurt you. I hate having something so violent inside of me all the time. Whenever I think about it I want to be sick. Being around me is so dangerous for all of you. I can't even completely forgive myself for burning you. At the General Fong's base, I said I never wanted you to see me that way again, but you did." He paused, and Katara could tell he was having a hard time deciding whether or not to continue.

"I feel so awful about it all the time." He continued, his words coming faster as they began to falter and crack in the middle, his jaw trembling uncontrollably now. "It's so scary to me so I know it's scary to you. I can't sleep because I keep having dreams I get stuck in it and can't get out and then you have to leave. I'm scared I'll push scare you away and I can't stand to think about that because I need you." He looked at her, eyes brimming over. "You're all I have left, Katara…" His voice broke, the tears finally escaping his eyes and sliding down his sunburnt cheeks. Feeling her heart break for him, Katara pulled him back into her arms, feeling his form crumple against hers, clutching her as tightly as he'd been clutching his glider when he'd come in. She'd seen Aang cry before, but not like this. He sounded so defeated, so lost.

"It's okay..." she murmured.

"No it's not!" Aang sobbed. "I'm dangerous Katara, I'm _scary. _That's not okay."

"You don't scare me, Aang." She told him sincerely. "And you never could, because no matter how upset you get, you're always still inside somewhere. You're always _you. _And I'll never leave you or stop being here for you or any of that. You can count on it."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did though." Aang answered softly, his tears subsiding slightly as he tried to regain control of himself. Katara gave him a squeeze.

"But I'm not. So don't even think about that. We're sticking with you to the end." Aang seemed both comforted and concerned by her vow, and he reluctantly released her from the embrace.

"I'm afraid it'll happen again, soon." He confessed. Katara bit her lip.

"What, you going into the avatar state?" Aang nodded solemnly, scrubbing the tears off his cheeks with the heel of his hand, his eyes flickering guiltily to the wet spot on Katara's shoulder. "What makes you say that?" She questioned.

"I just know. I don't know where Appa is, but if I find him with people who haven't been treating him right, I'll get upset. I don't know if I'd be able to help it. Same if I know where he is but can't get to him. And if people keep trying to hide everything and I can't get any leads, I'm afraid I'll just get so frustrated that I'll..." He stopped, shaking his head. "I'm forgetting everything the monks taught me about keeping a cool head and being forgiving. I lost Appa, and now I'm losing myself." He croaked miserably. Katara sighed.

"That's not true either. You're just upset. Anyone would be. You haven't actually hurt anyone. And we will find Appa, Aang, you'll see. It'll work out in the end." At last, Aang gave her a faint smile.

"What did I ever do to deserve being your friend?" Katara blushed, but couldn't help but smile a little to herself, inexplicably relieved that she'd gotten Aang to smile as well, even if It was only a glimmer of one.

"I could ask you the same question." She replied. For a minute, they looked into each others' eyes, blushing, before Aang cleared his throat and separated himself reluctantly, looking rather embarrassed.

"I um...do you want me to go now? I mean, I did just sort of butt in and um...yeah." The shadow came back over his face and Katara realized with a twisting pain in her chest that despite his tendency to always put his friends first, he didn't actually _want_ to go back to his room to fall asleep alone.

"No, it's okay." She insisted, not missing the slightly shocked look on Aang's face. "You should stay." She hesitated. "...If you think it would help, you can tell me about how you got Appa."

"Really?" Aang asked Katara nodded, giving him a warm smile.

"As long as you want to." She answered, leaning over to blow out the candle on her side of the bed, leaving only Aang's lit. Then, she shuffled under the bedcovers, lying on her side. Aang looked at her for a moment before she gestured for him to join her. Timidly, he followed her, lying down to face her and making himself comfortable, thankful that the shadows of night hid his blush.

"Have I ever told you about the Eastern and Western Air Temples?" He asked. Katara shook her head.

"I don't think so." Aang smiled.

"They're beautiful." He told her. "The nuns lived there, and that's where the sky bison nurseries were. I went when I was six for the first time to get mine. I remember I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before and Gyatso had to force me to eat breakfast that morning before I went outside to see the calves." A bittersweet look crossed his features and Katara put a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
"Anyways, the nuns gave us all apples to give to the bison and all the other kids from the Southern Temple were looking for the biggest, strongest bison. Appa was getting left out, and I felt bad for him, so I gave him my apple and he licked me and then I guess I just...knew. That night, I snuck out of the temple to sleep in the stables next to him." He smiled the most genuine smile Katara had seen from him in weeks. "It...was kind of like when I met you." Katara felt her heart flutter.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

"Well, when I saw you for the first time, I just knew you were special, and that there would never be anyone else quite like you. And I knew I could trust you no matter what. And...that's why I just _can't_ lose you. Right now, you're the only thing holding me together. When I feel like giving up, you keep me going. I'd be so lost without you, Katara...you have no idea." He confessed quietly, his eyes shining with gratitude and...something else, something much, much deeper that she couldn't quite put her finger on. In response, Katara pulled her friend close again, partly to hide the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"And you won't lose me. I _love _you, Aang. You don't ever have to worry about me leaving, no matter how long it takes for us to find Appa or how many times you go into the avatar state." She could've sworn she felt Aang's heart beating faster at the words, even though she'd meant them platonically and she was sure he knew it.

"Thanks. That...really means a lot to me." He murmured. Katara kissed his cheek, hearing him give what could only be a contented sigh. Then, she took his hand, feeling his fingers tighten around hers, holding onto her as they fell asleep together.


	76. Beautiful

**A/N: Guess who's working 56 hours this week AND going to class? Meeee! So next week's chapter will probably be late. Anyhow though, I have decided to end this at 100 chapters after most of you guys agreed with me in the reviews. So, I'm almost there! Private LL Church: I have been on a younger kataang kick lately, so I think you shall see more of what you like :). I hope you all are having a good back to school season if you're in school. If not, I wish you the best in the sad transition from summer to fall. Unless you like it...it makes me sad though. Anyways!**

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As they continued on their journey going south this time, Winter had begun to fade into Spring, which Aang, Katara, and Sokka were all thankful for as camping in the cold was, while not unbearable, much less pleasant than camping in warm, comfortable weather. It also meant that they could swim. Yesterday, Katara had given Aang his first waterbending lesson since leaving the North Pole. While the training session had partly been to teach him, she had ended it early so that they could swim, hoping to cheer him up as he had still been rather quiet and subdued after his conflict with General Fong at the Earth Kingdom base. And her efforts had been successful.

Having just finished his meditation session, Aang stood up from his lotus position and brushed himself off, smiling shyly to himself as he headed to the river where he knew Katara to be. It had taken all of his focus to not abandon his meditation and run to the area as quickly as his legs could carry him when he'd heard splashing nearby. Restraint was even harder now that he was on his way, but he did his best to walk at a normal pace, not wanting to seem too eager when Katara did see him. He found it was all he could do to keep his composure when he saw Katara in her undergarments, in fact, yesterday when he'd seen it for the first time, he'd barely been able to speak. It was also the first time he'd seen her voluntarily let her hair down, which only made it harder to talk. He neared the river, stopping before stepping out of the trees and taking a deep, calming breath in an effort to calm his nerves. So this was why the older boys at the temple had warned him to stay away from girls. Quite simply, Katara turned him into a puddle of mush without even trying.

And sure enough, there she was, clad in nothing but those white undergarments, her hair fanning out beautifully down her shoulders and back. For now though, she was simply sitting on the riverbank, absently swinging her legs in the water. Aang crept down the bank until he reached her side, sitting down beside her. She turned to him and gave him a brilliant smile. Aang's felt his heart stop and his mouth run dry, deciding right then and there that Katara was the most beautiful thing in the whole world.

"Hey Aang." She greeted cheerfully. Oh, and that voice...She flipped her hair casually over her shoulder and he was struck with a fierce urge to run his fingers through it, slipping into a fantasy where she would lay her head in his lap and let him comb his hands through her soft brown locks. Growing up in a temple of only men with shaved heads, he'd always found Katara's hair fascinating. It was so long and full and...now that he thought about it, he'd never felt hair at all other than the stubble he shaved off his scalp, Appa excluded. And the thought only worsened his temptation.

"Aang?" Katara's voice managed to filter through the thick cloud of dreams that had filled Aang's mind, and he jumped, snapping back to reality.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Um...yeah, hi Katara. Sorry about that, I was just...thinking." He stuttered pathetically, wishing the ground would swallow him up as soon as the words left his mouth. He was now as equally aware of his flaming cheeks as he was of Katara's state of undress. She however, acted like nothing had happened.

"Cool, what about?" She asked, seeming genuinely curious. Oh brother. Aang wanted to kick himself. He was a terrible liar. Heck, lately he'd been terrible at talking to Katara period. He wasn't a shy person, but somehow any social skills he'd had abandoned him when he saw Katara like this.

"Um...nothing." He said quickly, turning his face down in hopes she wouldn't be able to read the lie on it.

"I don't believe that." Katara answered. "Do you just not want to talk about it?" Aang bit his lip. Yes. He wanted to say, he could easily pretend he was thinking about defeating the Firelord or his lost people or finding an earth bending teacher, but all of those would mean he'd be lying to Katara, and would it really be so bad if he just told her the truth? Yes, you idiot, it would. He told himself. But then again, he had never felt hair before, and she'd been curious about his tattoos at first. Maybe she'd just view it as natural curiosity. Or you could be about to humiliate yourself to the point of no return and have Katara think you're a freak forever.

"I have a really dumb question." He blurted. There, no turning back now. Katara's features softened.

"I bet it's not dumb." She replied, cocking her head to the side. "What is it?" Aang felt himself turn a shade darker still, bracing himself for the worst humiliation of his life.

"I um...do you think I could try brushing your hair?" He gulped, instantly regretting the words and instinctively trying to make amends for them. "I mean, I know it sounds really weird and you don't have to and I can leave now if you want because I just...I..." His heart was going a mile a minute, and he couldn't by any force of will make himself look at Katara. Surely she would laugh at him. Or get angry for making such a bold, ludicrous suggestion. Who did he think he was anyways? He was so caught up in his embarrassment that he barely heard Katara's reply at first.

"Sure." She said simply. He looked up, not believing that he'd heard correctly.

"What? You mean, you're okay with that? Really?" He found himself asking. Katara nodded.

"Yeah. Why not? I mean, you are my best friend. I don't see what's wrong with it." She handed him the brush. "Here, just start at the bottom." Aang could've sworn he was dreaming, but when his fingers first touched Katara's hair, holding off a section to brush, he knew that no dream could feel so real. It was even softer than it looked, much, much softer than Appa's course coat, and so smooth and shiny. He was completely awed. She giggled, and he realized that his wide eyed expression at something as simple as hair must have looked completely ridiculous to her.

"You're not going to break me, Aang." She told him, eyes sparkling with amusement. It was only then that he realized just how delicately he was holding the brush, how slowly he was going.

"Sorry." He apologized hastily. "I guess...I just don't really know what I'm doing, I've never actually touched anyone's hair before." This time, it was Katara's turn to grow wide eyed.

"You haven't?" She asked, surprised. Aang shook his head, continuing to brush with what he hoped was a more normal stroke.

"Except for Appa's and that's completely different. Your hair is much softer. I...don't want to ruin it." Katara smiled, and Aang could've sworn he saw her blush.

"Thanks." She murmured. "And, you won't." Aang couldn't help but smile as well.

"How do you know?" He questioned.

"Because you've never ruined anything." Aang's heart soared at the words, his stomach filling with butterflies. No one had ever told him that.

"That means a lot to me, coming from you." He said softly. He was at her back now, kneeling behind her. She turned her head over her shoulder to smile at him.

"I'm glad." A still, intimate silence fell between them, and Aang found himself getting lost in another fantasy, one in which he would brush her hair aside to place a kiss on the back of her shoulder and then she would turn around to press her lips to his and...despite his efforts to make it last, he finished his brushing much sooner than he would've liked, and then hesitated, thinking. Then, he had an idea. Reaching down, Aang plucked a purple blossom from the grass they knelt in, braiding a small section of Katara's hair and then tucking the flower gently into it, just behind Katara's ear.

"There." He smiled. This time, there was no mistaking the warm flush staining Katara's cheeks as she looked at her reflection in the water.

"Oh Aang, it's beautiful, thank you." She murmured, and Aang was surprised to hear the sincerity in her voice despite the fact that she was right, she did look beautiful. Perhaps this hadn't been a horrible idea after all. Then again, she always looked beautiful...he could barely stop himself from getting lost in her eyes again. Then, the silence broke and she stood, extending a hand to help him up. "Come on, we should go find some things to eat for dinner." Aang stopped her though.

"Wait, Katara." He said. She stopped, looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"You're beautiful. I mean, not just your hair. All of you, inside and out. You're really, really beautiful." This time, he didn't want the earth to swallow him up. Katara deserved to hear the truth and he was proud to share it. He thought he caught a glimmer of something in her eye before she knelt down to kiss his cheek. He could've sworn her lips lingered there for longer than they ever had before, but he was so enraptured with her right then that he would've thought so even if it had been the shortest kiss ever given.

"Thanks, Aang." She murmured. Then she grinned. "That means a lot to me, coming from you."


	77. Strawberries

**A/N: Yeah, I know, long time no update. Just when I thought I couldn't get busier, I did. I have an internship and a job and 4 classes now, yayyyyy. (never again) I promise next semester I'll give myself a more reasonable schedule. Being away from fanfiction makes me sad, too. I'm so stressed out :(. But I managed to squeeze this in somehow, so I hope it's enjoyable. **

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Aang was the first to notice Katara's gaze wandering over to the fruit stand on the side of the road. He followed her sightline, his focus settling on a small mountain of ripe strawberries. He averted his eyes, trying to stop his mouth from watering. It had been a long while since they'd had a satisfying meal. It was winter after all, and he was surprised there was even fruit to be had at all. They were almost past it when Katara stopped.

"Sokka, how much money do we have?" She asked. Sokka frowned.

"Not enough for fruit." He answered. "Come on Katara, you know better. We need to save this for stuff we can't find in the woods and plants don't fall under that category. We don't have a lot right now." Katara sighed, her eyes flitting sadly away from the tempting fruit.

"I guess not." She agreed forlornly. Aang frowned, feeling a twinge of guilt as he was reminded yet again of the fact that this was technically his fault. If it weren't for him, Katara would be at home in the South Pole and while it wasn't the most exciting place, she'd at least had regular meals. He'd noticed her growing just a bit thinner over the past few weeks of travel, and he often worried about her, though whenever he expressed his concern she insisted she was fine. Today she looked especially tired, and, his face flushing, Aang recalled that this was also his fault. He'd jolted awake in the middle of the night after a nightmare and had apparently cried out in his sleep, for Katara had been kneeling over him when he woke and neither of them had gone back to sleep until she'd made sure that he was okay. While he was grateful for her sitting up with him and in fact, he barely remembered the dream now, he was still ashamed of waking her in the first place and as a result they hadn't spoken a great deal that day.

They reached the wooded boundary of the town after Sokka had spent a small portion of their money on the cheapest bread they could find, and as he spread out their sleeping bags, Katara pushed herself to her feet and moved to the edge of the clearing, clutching her parka around herself. As they neared the North Pole, the temperatures had been falling steadily again and even Aang felt cold sometimes.

"I'll see what I can find to go with the bread." She announced, though she looked ready to drop dead from tiredness. Aang got to his feet.

"No, I'll go. You look really tired." He insisted. Katara shook her head stubbornly.

"I'm fine." She told him, but Sokka put a hand on her shoulder.

"No, Aang's right. Besides, he knows plants better. He'll find us something good." Aang cast his friend a grateful look. He'd taught Katara a good deal of what he knew about plants since departing from the South Pole and he fully trusted her to be able to find them edible food, but right now he would use any excuse to save her from doing any more work. It was enough that she cooked and cleaned for them almost every day, and she was obviously exhausted. Katara sighed.

"Okay." She agreed quietly at last, sitting down on her sleeping bag. Aang gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile and retreated into the trees, fighting his own tiredness as he bent to pick what looked like an edible mushroom. Inwardly, he groaned. Of all the things they ate, one of Katara's least favorites was mushrooms. Of course, she wouldn't complain when it was all they had, but still. He stood again and continued on his way.

Some distance along, a shiny something gleamed at Aang from the ground. He rubbed an eye and blinked. He was tired, that was all, he told himself. But the shine didn't disappear. Kneeling down again, he inspected the thing, his jaw dropping when he picked it up. In his hand, he held a yuan. One whole yuan! The people Sokka had worked for on the way paid him only 2 or three yuans for an entire hour of work. Aang grinned and was about to stand when a second shine caught his eye. There, in the grass, was another yuan. And another, and another…Aang picked each of them up, delighted to find that he had eight entire yuans after scanning the whole area. He pocketed them, fully intending to continue on his quest for dinner when a brilliant idea struck him. Aang took off running towards the town.

When he returned, Sokka was already sound asleep, but Katara sat awake by the dying fire, giving a jolt when she caught sight of Aang.

"Where were you?" She demanded, blue eyes alight with a combination of anger and relief that made Aang shiver. Sokka stirred and Aang put a finger to his lips. Katara's eyes moved from him to the bag Aang carried. He held his free hand out to her and raising an eyebrow, Katara took it. Aang pulled her a short distance from camp, trying not to lose his ability to breathe now that he was holding Katara's hand. They stopped at a large rocky precipice, taking a seat under an overhang that shielded them from the wind slightly. Then, Katara spoke again.

"What on earth took you so long? I was getting worried about you, you could've been captured for all I know." Aang bowed his head.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. But…I got you something." With a grin, he opened the bag and placed it next to Katara. She peered inside, her eyes widening. Inside were what must have been over a dozen ripe strawberries.

"Aang…" She breathed, "How on earth did you…? How much?" Aang smiled.

"I found eight yuans on the ground when I was looking for dinner. And I figured you'd like these better than the mushrooms I found. I know," He chuckled when Katara gave him a look of disbelief. "I couldn't believe it either. Maybe the spirits knew you were hungry." As if agreeing with him, Katara's stomach growled and Aang moved the bag closer to her. "Go ahead." He offered. Katara took one strawberry from the bag and bit into it, closing her eyes in pleasure as she chewed.

"You shouldn't have." She murmured, reaching for another. Aang shrugged.

"You deserved something nice. Really. I wanted to, I've been feeling really guilty and it's…like a thank you." Katara paused on her third strawberry.

"Guilty?" She echoed, "What for?"

"Well, I know you've been hungry and you don't get enough sleep and…last night." He said quietly, his face coloring. Katara laughed.

"I never expected to be staying in inns every night and getting perfectly regular meals when I decided to come along with you, Aang. And besides, what are friends for? Don't ever feel bad about things like nightmares. You've been through a lot." Aang smiled slightly.

"Well, thanks. Having someone like you around really does help." Katara blushed.

"I'm glad." She replied. Aang only gazed at her, finding himself getting lost in her beauty again. He still hadn't had anything to eat, but just looking at Katara made him forget his hunger entirely, or any other connection to the physical world for that matter.

"Don't you want any?" She asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

"What? Oh, um, no, it's okay. They're for you. I'll just have some bread when we get back."

"But aren't you-?" Aang shook his head.

"No, really. I'm fine, Katara. I only wanted them for you." Katara hesitated.

"Are you sure?" She pressed. Aang nodded, smiling.

"Yeah." He assured. More than anything, he was happy to see Katara enjoying something that he'd given her. The strawberries were already half gone. Then, a thought occurred to him.

"How did you know you would like them anyways?" He asked. "They don't have those in the South Pole." Katara shook her head.

"Twice a year, our tribe would buy fresh fruit to be sent from the Earth Kingdom. It was never much, but it was always a nice treat. These were my favorites. I used to get up really early on the morning the ship was supposed to arrive and just look out at the ocean waiting for it." She smiled wistfully and they were silent for a moment, Katara working her way to the very last strawberries before Aang spoke again.

"They sort of look like hearts." He said softly, part of him immediately regretting the words. The boys Katara liked, boys like Jet, would never say something that cheesy. Then again, maybe there was a reason things hadn't ended well with him. Katara paused mid-bite, looking at him.

"That's funny, I always thought so too, but Sokka thought I was crazy." Aang chuckled.

"He thinks I'm crazy too, remember?" Katara laughed.

"Oh yeah. Well, that's okay. I'd rather take your side. They do look like hearts." Aang's own heart fluttered happily and he grinned to himself, relieved that Katara hadn't thought him foolish. Spirits, she was beautiful…and suddenly, he was tempted to push his luck further. After a beat of quiet, he spoke again before his moment of bravery could slip away.

"Katara?" He questioned.

"Yeah?"

"Do you um…what do you think falling in love feels like?" Katara gave a soft intake of breath, seeming to contemplate the question for a moment.

"Honestly…I'm not sure. I had this fantasy of what it would be like when I was little, but now I don't know." Then, she smiled at him. "But if I do figure it out, you'll be the first one I tell. Unless you already have an idea. Do you?" Aang smiled to himself, a pleasant warmth spreading through his core.

"Well, I imagine it feels like you'd do anything in the world for that person. And that when you're together, no matter what you're doing, you're happy because they're around. You'd want to be with them, and only them, forever." He looked out into the woods, blushing. "But I mean, that's just a thought, you know? Maybe I am crazy." He added hastily. Katara smiled.

"I don't think that's crazy at all. You were right about the strawberries, so I don't see why you can't be right about this." She paused, picking a single strawberry out of the bag. "...I want you to have the last one." Aang blushed madly, trying his hardest to tell himself to not draw meaning from the words that wasn't actually there.

"Katara, really it's okay-" But Katara would not be dissuaded.

"I mean it. Who knows when we'll have something like this again?" Before he could protest any further, Katara had folded the fruit into his hand. At last, Aang took a bite, knowing all too well that it was useless to argue with Katara when she'd made up her mind. It was delicious; perfectly sweet and succulent, like he'd always imagined Katara's lips to be. It was no wonder she had finished them so quickly.

"Thanks." He murmured, giving her a shy smile.

"Don't." Katara shook her head. "You were the one who got them. It was really thoughtful of you." Leaning over, she placed a kiss on his cheek. _I'd do anything for you._ He wanted to say, but settled instead for a soft "It was nothing," ducking his head to hide his blush. There was that fluttery feeling again.

"Also…" Katara spoke again and Aang looked up, showing her that he was listening. Katara looked at her lap for a moment, her eyes flitting around nervously. "I meant it when I said I don't want you to feel bad about any of this. Meeting you is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me and I…I really like being around you. I just wanted you to know that." Aang beamed at the words. Suddenly, all he wanted was to scoop Katara into his arms and run away with her, to forget the rest of the world and just spend the rest of his life making her happy.

"I really like being around you too." He said instead, hoping he wasn't just imagining the pink tinge on Katara's cheeks.

"Um, well, I guess we should get back to camp?" She got to her feet, brushing off her dress. Aang snapped out of his reverie and followed.

"Yeah, you're right, we should." He agreed. He couldn't help but be slightly disappointed that the evening was over, but the warmth in Katara's gaze when she looked at him and the smile in her voice when she bid him goodnight were more than enough to lull him into a contented slumber.


	78. Grateful

**A/N: *wistles* Wow. Long time no writey. I'm not gonna b*tch to you all about how crazy my schedule has been because I'm sure you all get the point by now x(. Believe me when I say that if I had all the free time in the world though, this is all I would be doing. I've missed it so much. In any case, it's been ages. Merry Christmas! I won't make any promises about the next chapter, but I will say that I am determined to get to chapter 100 and mark this as complete before starting my next oneshot series. Thanks for sticking through all of this craziness with me! You all are the best.**

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Aang sat with Kya, gently stroking her hair until she fell asleep that night, smiling just slightly when her breathing evened out and her lips parted just slightly, indicating that she had drifted off at last. It had been difficult to get her to sleep these past few evenings. The six year old was frightened, for her mother had been bedridden, too weak to get up after the birth of the avatar's third child. Needless to say, he was more worried than anyone. Bumi was too young to understand anything that had happened, and Kya, while old enough to know that there was something wrong, hadn't quite grasped the severity of the situation. Aang had been worried sick and would have spent every waking moment by Katara's side were it not for the fact that her condition left him to care for their other two children and the new baby. Rubbing an eye wearily, he crept out of his daughter's room, leaving her door open just a crack, and made his way to the room he shared with Katara. Two healers emerged, looking almost as tired as he was.

"How is she?" He asked, suddenly wide awake. One of them smiled at him.

"It is safe now for us to leave you, Avatar Aang. Your wife is stable and should recover within the next few weeks." Aang fell back against the wall in relief, drawing in a deep breath, face lighting up with joy.

"Thank you." He said breathlessly, bowing deeply to the two women. "You have no idea how grateful I am…if you ever need anything, _anything, _just let me know. I am forever in your debt." He withdrew a sack of gold coins from the pocket of his robes. The woman's eyes widened and she held her hands out in front of her, shaking her head.

"Avatar Aang, you have already paid us so generously. We can't possibly accept anymore. We have only done our jobs." Aang however, took the woman's hands and folded the sack into them.

"No." he insisted. "Your job was to save one person, but today, you've saved a whole family. I can never repay you enough and I'm sure you have your own families to provide for. Please, it's the least I can do." He said earnestly. The women looked at each other and then bowed.

"We have heard of your generosity Avatar Aang, but we never could have imagined you to be this kind. Do not hesitate to send a message if you are ever again in need of our services." Aang nodded.

"Thank you." He said again, escorting the two women to the nearest exit and bidding them one last, sincere farewell before running as fast as he could to his and Katara's room. To his surprise, she was awake, and he didn't hesitate to leap to her side and pull her into a fierce embrace, squeezing his eyes shut against the tears that formed in them. When he opened them, he saw his three day old son sound asleep in a small cradle beside the bed, the sight warming him inside. Both his wife and child were alive and well and he couldn't have been happier.

"Thank the spirits you're okay." He breathed into her hair, nuzzling his face affectionately against her neck. "I was so scared I was going to lose you…" He heard her give a choked sob into his shoulder, trembling in his arms. He released her gently back onto the pillows and climbed into the bed beside her, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Hey." He murmured. "What's wrong?" Her lip shook.

"I'm not okay." She whispered. Aang paled.

"What?" He asked, quickly growing frantic. "You have to be, the healers just told me you would be! Hold on Katara, I'll call them back, I'll-" Katara shook her head tearfully.

"Aang, don't. It's nothing they can fix. They tried. I will get better but…" She averted her eyes in a way she only did when she was ashamed, a tear curving down her cheek to drip off of her chin. "I can't have any more kids, Aang." She said so quietly he almost missed it, but nonetheless, he felt overcome with relief. Katara would live.

"That's…" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Katara." He cupped her face, tenderly brushing away a tear.

"No." She said, to his surprise sounding almost…angry. "No, it's _my _fault! Tenzin might be an airbender but even then he's only one. You were so happy and now…I've hardly made any difference at all…and I won't ever be able to again. Now I'm useless to you." Aang swallowed. Though Katara's anger was directed at herself, it hurt him deeply to hear her talking about herself this way.

"Katara…" His wife was trembling, staring at the wall across from her as tears made their way silently down her face. She looked exhausted. "You know that's not true at all. You and the kids are my whole world. Sure, I would've welcomed more, but you've done more for me than anyone ever has. Just knowing that you're alive and safe makes me happier than I ever thought was possible." Katara's jaw quivered and she sank back against the pillows, her face pale. For a moment, Aang thought she would faint and he maneuvered her so that she was leaning back against him, his legs on either side of her.

"Are you warm enough?" He asked. Katara released a shuddering sigh.

"I guess I'm a little cold." Aang encircled her with in his arms, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. They sat quietly for a moment, the silence punctuated only occasionally by Katara's sniffles. "You know what?" The airbender murmured. Katara looked up at him.

"What?"

"I think this is one of the happiest days of my life." He said simply.

"What?" Katara asked tiredly.

"It's true." Aang insisted. "I was so scared I was going to lose my wife, but I didn't. We just had a beautiful, healthy son and now when the kids wake up in the morning I can bring them in to see their brother and tell them that their mother, the woman I love more than anything, is going to be just fine. I couldn't have possibly asked for more." Katara leaned her head on his shoulder, still frowning and looking to be only half there.

"But he's the last one, Aang. And if…if I'd taken better care of myself, maybe none of this would've ever happened. Maybe I would've been just fine and we could've had more children, more airbenders and then you would've been even happier."

"Maybe if I hadn't been so scared of being the avatar when I was twelve I would've stayed at the Southern Air Temple and stopped my people from being massacred and prevented the rest of the war before it even started, and then you could've grown up in peace." Aang retorted gently, but firmly. Katara stiffened.

"That's different. You were only twelve and you would've been killed if you'd tried to face the entire Fire Nation army at once back then." Aang shrugged.

"Not necessarily. I could've escaped and gotten help, or at least warned the other temples before the Fire Nation arrived there. I could've gone into the avatar state and blown them all off the mountain…though you're right, it's not quite the same because there are so many different things I could've done. You're the best mom in the world and you were so careful. There was nothing you could've done better in terms of taking care of yourself. You can't blame yourself for things like this, Katara. You were the one who taught me that." He said confidently. Katara dropped her head against his shoulder, giving a defeated sigh.

"I know…" She admitted quietly. "I just…keep thinking about how happy we were when I found out I was pregnant with Kya and Bumi and Tenzin, how exciting it was. And now we'll never have that again. I'll never be able to give that to you again." She averted her eyes as they began to well with tears once more. Aang frowned.

"Don't say that. You and the kids make me happy every day. It's our _family_ Katara, and I'll be happy no matter how big or small it is. You've already given me so much more than I ever hoped for. Heck, I thought you even liking me back was out of my reach. You have no idea how happy it makes me just to see you and hold you when I wake up every morning. All of this is more than I'd ever dreamed about. Every day I'm with you and our kids I'm the happiest man in the world. The only thing that makes me happier is seeing you happy too." Katara was poised to reply when a soft cry came from the cradle next to the bed. She attempted to push herself off of the cushion of Aang's chest, but immediately felt lightheaded and fell back. Aang climbed out from under her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've got him." He assured with a gentle smile, leaning over to lift his mewling newborn son into his arms. Katara reached for him, and Aang settled the infant gently into his wife's grasp before climbing back into his original position, bringing Katara with him, placing one hand over hers to help her support Tenzin. He couldn't help the gentle flutter in his heart as Katara rested her head on his chest, Tenzin's cries quieting as she rocked him and whispered soothing nothings to him. The infant's fist curled around a lock of his mother's hair, and for the first time that day, Katara smiled. In Aang's mind, nothing could've made the scene more beautiful. It was only when the baby's eyes closed that Katara lifted a hand to her own eyes, brushing away the moisture that had gathered in them and letting out a long breath. "See?" Aang pointed out quietly. "Even Tenzin wants you to be happy." Katara let out a teary laugh.

"Okay." She conceded. "It's hard to argue with both of you." Aang grinned.

"I love you. Both of you, so much." Katara tilted her neck upwards, and Aang met her lips in a soft, slow kiss, drinking her in, relishing in the fact that she was alive and with him. Silently, he swore to himself that he would never let anything change that.

"I love you too. And I want you to be happy, more than anything." She leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. "It's just gonna take some time to accept. And I'll need you to help me." Aang nodded, giving one of her hands a squeeze.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Katara smiled weakly.

"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you, Aang…" Aang nuzzled her affectionately in response.

"You'd figure something out. But considering I am here, I suggest you get some sleep. You're still recovering and I know you're tired. Here, I'll take Tenzin." Katara held out the small bundle, placing a kiss on her son's head before handing him back to Aang, who deposited him as carefully as he could back in the cradle so as not to wake him. He had learned from Kya and Bumi that a sleeping baby was a blessing, and should most certainly not be taken for granted. He then curled around his wife once more, pulling her back against him and sweeping her hair out of the way so that he could place a kiss on the back of her shoulder. He knew that it would take time for her to fully recover from everything that had happened, but he was determined to see her through all of it.

"Everything'll be okay, Katara, I promise." He murmured against her skin.

"I know." He heard her answer. "I trust you."


End file.
